Lokesh Kanagaraj recalls Rajinikanth's reaction after watching Coolie: ‘It looked like Thalapathi for me!’

With exactly one month left for the global release of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s highly-anticipated action thriller Coolie, starring the one and only Rajinikanth, excitement surrounding the film is at an all-time high. The film, which marks Lokesh’s maiden collaboration with ‘Thalaivar’, is shaping up to be one of the biggest cinematic events of the year.

Adding to the buzz, Coolie boasts an ensemble cast that includes Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj and Shruti Haasan, with a special cameo by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan.

“It looked like Thalapathi for me!”

While Lokesh is busy giving the final touches to the film, it was Rajinikanth’s reaction after watching a cut of Coolie that has left the director overwhelmed with emotion. The superstar, who rarely doles out such high praise, hugged Lokesh and told him, “It looked like Thalapathi for me!”—a moment that Lokesh describes as the most peaceful night of his recent life.

“That made my day, and that was the night I slept very peacefully after many months,” Lokesh told The Hollywood Reporter India. He further revealed that Thalapathi (1991), directed by Mani Ratnam, remains his favourite Rajinikanth film, and it was this blend of commercial entertainment and artistic depth that he set out to emulate in Coolie.

“If at all I am doing a film with Rajini sir, it has to be somewhere close to Thalapathi. I cannot write a film on par with Mani sir’s quality, as his film and writing is unmatched... but I get a little satisfaction when we compare that film with this one. Listening to those words from Rajini sir was an achievement,” he shared.




A fantasy film that turned into Coolie

Lokesh also opened up about the early stages of the project, revealing that Coolie wasn’t the first idea he pitched to Rajinikanth.

“I initially wrote a fantasy film for him, and he immediately said okay to it, but assembling it would’ve taken at least a year and a half. You can write anything for the actor because he is larger than life,” he said, highlighting Rajinikanth’s adaptability and trust in his directors.

Despite experimenting with new styles and techniques in Coolie, Lokesh assures fans that the film stays true to its central hero. “It will still be a Rajini sir film. I also don’t want to change that,” he affirmed.