Coolie REVIEW: Rajinikanth’s 50th Year Celebratory Film Goes Wrong; Filmmaker Lokesh Kanaraj Bites More Than He Can Chew

Film:
Coolie

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Writers: Lokesh Kanagaraj, Chandhru Anbazhagan

Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan, Rachita Ram, Kanna Ravi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Pooja Hegde

Run Time: 170 minutes (2 hours, 50 minutes)

Platform: In Theatres

Coolie Review

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie follows the life of Deva (Rajinikanth) a former coolie who now runs Deva Mansion – a hostel for boys and been sober for nearly 30 years. The story kickoff when Deva begins investigating the death of his longtime friend and is forced to mingle with the likes of Simon (Nagarjuna) – the kingpin of an illegal business and his trusted but ruthless henchman, Dayal (Soubin Saahir). During this time, he also reconnect with Rajasekar’s (Sathyaraj) three daughters – Preethi (Shruti Haasan), Priya (Monisha Blessy) and a third played by Reba Monica John and attempts to keep them safe as the goons chance after them in order to fulfil some shady deals.

Filled with tons of twists and turns – some that are expected and some that are sure to blow your mind to Jupiter and back, backstabbing plots, instances of undying loyalties and secrets unveiled left, right and centre, Coolie will not have you on the edge of your seat or slouching back wondering what the F is happening. It’s too much to soak in. Scroll below and read our honest review about the film.

What Works

The attempt is commendable, despite the final result not living up to expectations. Coolie is the soundtrack album composed by Anirudh Ravichander.

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What Doesn’t Work

The list is long. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj hoped to make the action thiller the perfect tribute to celebrate 50 years of Rajinikanth entertaining the masses with his swag but fails. There are way too many twist and turns – you don’t have enough digits on your hands to count. Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna are wasted.

Technical Analysis

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Star Performances

Rajinikanth has the swag and aura we expect from the superstar, however the character arc doesn’t do justice to his legacy. We wish there was something more.

Nagarjuna as Simon Xavier – the film’s primary antagonist, is a wasted talent. The actor barely has 20 minute screen time and manages to shine only here and there. Aamir Khan’s character will make you scratch your head with how fast he changes sides.

Soubin Shahir as Simon’s lieutenant Dayal is one of the only standout performances in Coolie that will make you both laugh and cringe.

Conclusion

Coolie is a fun watch if you are heading to theatres to only watch Rajinikanth and experience his aura and swag. If you go in looking for content – or anything sensible, you will be deeply disappointed. Watch Coolie in theatres at your own risk.

Hope our Coolie review helps you in deciding whether or not the Rajinikanth-led actioner is worth a watch this Independence weekend.

Watch the trailer of Coolie here:

Also Read: War 2 REVIEW: Star Power Hrithik Roshan & NTR Wasted As Their Epic Showdown Falls Flat

Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.