Coolie - Superstar delivers, but Loki lifts light!

 Coolie

Tamil - Drama/Action

170 mins

In Cinemas

As with all my reviews – This is spoiler free.

Prologue

At the conclusion of my Leo review, I implored Lokesh Kanagaraj / Loki (not that he reads my blog) — to edit better, take his time, and then unleash hell. In all honesty, Coolie feels like more of the same, with a slightly better second half (only just). The bizarre plot device (occult sacrifice in Leo) now has a competitor: An feat of engineering linking a key character to the antagonists. All the fan theories of time travel (REALLY?) and mind control (REAAAALY??) are debunked in favour of something even zanier!

The movie

In its simplest form, Coolie is about Deva (Rajinikanth) searching for the killer of his best friend Rajashekar (Sathyaraj) while looking out for the three daughters he left behind — the eldest, Preethi (Shruti Haasan), carrying the burden of supporting them.

As he digs deeper into the “who,” he crosses paths with Rajashekar’s employers — Simon (Nagarjuna) and Dayal (Soubin Shahir) — high-end smugglers. Deva has a past (after Baasha, Rajini always has one, doesn’t  he?) and draws on his experiences and acquaintances to uncover the “why” and finally bury the ghosts of the present.

Coolie runs 170 minutes, and at many times you feel the length. Some sequences make a solid impact but are drawn out longer than necessary. In the larger scheme of Loki’s vision, to his credit, none feel pointless,  but could have used sharper editing.

At 74, Superstar still manages to carry the film on his shoulders. Loki tones down the “mass” while still delivering whistle-worthy moments. There are even a couple of scenes where he allows the actor to emerge (a rare luxury). One particular scene toward the end — where Deva sits across from Simon, the camera locked on his face as he reveals his past — is terrific. There are plenty of Rajinisms throughout, but as always, the “evil” ones drew the loudest whistles. Credit also to his commitment to the dance steps and the fast-cut action sequences, which cannot have been easy on his body.

Soubin Shahir gets the meatier role and chews it to bits. He is truly evil, calculating, and manipulative. He will bring the roof down in “Monica” (although it is absolutely ill placed!). Nagarjuna looks absolutely lethal and makes a strong case for a longer run as an antagonist; hopefully, he signs on again. Even in his limited screen time, he marries the chutzpah of a Bond villain with the rage and violence of a Indian antagonist.

Shruti Haasan starts strong in a good part but is soon reduced to a crybaby dragged from scene to scene. She could have been a more emotionally resonant arc (like Jailer), but in Coolie it feels shallow. Sathyaraj is solid in his brief role and brings context to "Powerhouse".

Cinematography by Girish Gangadharan is terrific. Much of the movie is set at night, and the colour palette pops. The shot composition is superb — the many slow-mos from behind characters as they walk into frame are all framed beautifully. While the Mocobot adds serious flair in the climactic “Kokki” action sequence, it might be time to retire it for a few films. The flashback sequences are shown very uniquely (and sound too), well done!

Anirudh is in decent form; while this is several notches below his legendary work in Vikram, he still amps up the bass at key moments. Rajini’s past reveal to the tune of “Powerhouse” (premiered at his concert) and the classical-techno “Kokki” are standouts.

Thoughts on the Cameos

In the final quarter, I knew Aamir Khan and Upendra were yet to appear. My mind kept wondering how they would fit into the narrative. No matter how slow the build-up or how much Anirudh cranks the bass, the exhilaration is dulled when you already know who’s coming.

Upendra sets the screen on fire but is wasted — an actor tailor-made for Loki’s insane characters, he is terribly under-utilised. Aamir Khan is good, but his character is not clearly defined. 

To pull in pan-Indian crowds in week one, filmmakers seem to be taking the safe route by revealing big cameos upfront. Ironically though, an unadvertised actor here gets an arc no one would have guessed — the only true “WOW” moment in Coolie. That probably sums it up!

In this era of invasive journalism, keeping a production secret is tough — even Hollywood struggles (see Marvel’s Spider-Man leaks). Ten years ago, Christopher Nolan proved it could be done by hiding Matt Damon’s role in Interstellar. I am hoping production houses find a way to protect such surprises in future, so we can truly hold our breath. 

Final Thoughts

After recent debacles (I was absolutely shattered by Thug Life — so bad I didn’t even write about it), I went into Coolie with low expectations. I walked out not disappointed, but a tad weary. It lands somewhere between Leo and Jailer, several notches below Vikram - another multi-starrer, but one where Loki actually wrote the characters properly and gave the actors enough screen time to shine. Definitely a lesson for him there.

Much like Anirudh, I fear we may lose Lokesh to the demands of a box office spectacle, with real talents getting buried. Hopefully both these young stars (in their own right) take time off, reinvent, and remind us believers what they can really do.

As the “Powerhouse” lyrics go — Rajini truly makes the screen tremble (Arangam Athirattume), brings the whistles (Whistle parakkatume), brings the child-like smile (Koyanda sirippu), stardom and mass (“imaya mala pola mass, manasa parikiru craze”). Even at this age, his aura (“Ennaikum kuraiyada moussu”) remains, and his fans still love and cheer for him (Koyandagalukkum, kumarigalukkum, perisungalukkum podusungalukkum). Loves eh! — Salute, Thalaiva!