Coolie directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj is a mixed cocktail combining numerous elements of previous Rajinikanth movies. There is a huge hangover of both Jailer and Baashha but the packaging is done right for most part, the film benefits immensely from powerful antagonists and also a strong emotional backstory for the titular protagonist
Starcast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Rachita Ram, Satyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Aamir Khan and others special appearance (Pooja Hedge)
Genre: Action/drama
Story, direction and screenplay: lokesh Kanagaraj
Additional screenplay: Chandhru Anabazghan
Producer: Kalanithi Maran
Production Company: Sun Pictures
Cinematography: Girish Gangadharan
Music: Anirudh
Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
In a short span of time Lokesh Kanagaraj has established himself as a successful commercial director. In spite of working with major stars like Vijay Thalapathy and Kamal Haasan Lokesh has developed his distinctive style. There are certain trademark Lokesh Kanagaraj elements you will find in most of his films presenting his actors in a different light. His latest Coolie though is more of a Rajikinath film rather than what Lokesh is known for. The story beats harp to the numerous masala movies of Rajinikanth, however its to Lokesh’s credit that he manages to make the film engaging specifically in the way he presents Nagarjuna as an out and out villain. Kuberra had elements of grey with some moral dilemmas, however Coolie presents Nagarjuna in his most unhinged avatar and the senior actor embraces the hammy nature with absolute finesse.
Coolie opens with the introduction of Rajinikanth’s Deva. He runs a mansion like hostel for the college students. The students are given free meals, and the rent is affordable too, however drinking is strictly prohibited. Not surprisingly Deva has a violent past along the lines of 1995 Baashha and his numerous other movies. Satyaraj is Rajshekhar an old friend, the tragic death of Rajashekhar drastically changes the life of Deva. In a major turn of events Deva has to infiltrate the gang of Simon (Nagarjuna). Soubin Shahir plays Simon’s second in command Dayal. Sruthi Hassan on the other hand is the typical damsel in distress either waiting to be rescued or being the object of violence for both Simon and Dayal.
A strong aspect of Coolie is how Lokesh intermingles fan service with some strong emotional beats specifically in the latter half. The second half has some interesting twists shocking the viewers. The best twist comes from the character of Rachita Ram. In the first half she is presented as a supposed love interest to Simon’s son however her real identity turns out to be something else, it comes across as a pleasant shock. Rachita Ram is very good fully embracing the negative shades with absolute precision, she also gets a kick ass action sequence equal to the male counterparts.
Mention must also be made of how Lokesh integrates the character of Upendra as Deva’s right-hand man. Upendra exudes effortless swagger while taking on the baddies, he hasn’t got many dialogues still Upendra impresses with his strong screen presence. Satyaraj in his brief role adds an emotional gravitas. Aamir Khan though gets a raw deal, neither his look nor the presentation helps.
Lokesh also deserves credit for how he has shaped up the roles of Nagarjuna and Soubin Shahir. The roles have been crafted with the right amount of evilness proving to be formidable villains. The styling of Simon also adds to the character of Nagarjuna, he looks very dashing with the long hair. The best part of Nagarjuna’s performance is the way he performs with the eyes and overall body language. Soubin Shahir too is excellent too in portraying the different shades of Dayal, he specifically stands out in the pre-interval sequence with Rajinikanth changing colors like a chameleon. His dance in the special song Monica is fantastic too, there is an uninhibitedness to the steps. Pooja Hedge in a special appearance sparkles as well with her sensuous moves.
Sruthi Hassan in the role of Rajeshekhar’s daughter has a lengthy screen time but the one note characterization makes it irritating. There is a constant wide-eyed expression with little nuances. As Deva Rajinikanth is mostly there to do fan service barring some emotional moments. He pulls off the part with expected charismatic ease with some fine acting in the few emotional moments.
Anirudh’s background score is thumping adding to the elevation shots. The songs go with the flow of the movie. Monica with Pooja Hedge and Soubin stands out for the energetic picturization.
Final word: Coolie is an enjoyable star vehicle for Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna fans. For those looking for meaningful cinema though its a different matter.
