Coolie is a 2025 Tamil action drama that brings Rajinikanth and director Lokesh Kanagaraj together for the first time. It hit screens across the world on 14 August 2025, just before India’s Independence Day, and Sun Pictures produced the film with Kalanithi Maran backing it on a grand scale. The film stars Rajinikanth as Deva, a man with a quiet life and a violent past, alongside Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra and Sathyaraj. Music comes from Anirudh Ravichander, who has worked with Lokesh on many hits, and the film runs for 2 hours and 50 minutes. It is in Tamil, and dubbed versions came out in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. Fans had waited for this film since it was first announced in 2023 as Thalaivar 171, and the buzz was huge, with an opening that ranked among the biggest ever for a Tamil film. This article looks at the story, the cast, the music, the box office, and where you can watch it now.
The Story in Brief
Deva runs a strict boarding house in Chennai. He lives a calm life and keeps to himself, until his world shakes when his close friend Rajasekhar dies. The death looks like a heart attack at first, but Deva finds signs that point to foul play. He starts to dig for the truth, and his search takes him to a harbour town called Visakhapatnam. There, a rich and ruthless man named Simon runs a crime ring, using a logistics firm as a front. Behind it, his men smuggle gold and luxury goods. Worse, they exploit poor port workers. These workers are coolies who load and unload ships all day, working hard for low pay. Simon’s gang treats them as disposable. Deva finds that Rajasekhar’s death links to this gang. Rajasekhar had built a machine that Simon’s men misused, and the gang used it to hide their crimes. Deva must now fight a foe with money, men and power. He is not alone, as old friends stand by him. One of them is Kaleesha, played by Upendra. The film also shows Deva’s past as a coolie union leader who fought for workers’ rights years ago. That past shapes who he is today. The story mixes action with feeling, and it talks about greed, power and justice. It also shows how the poor pay the price when crime meets business. The film keeps the plot simple at its core. A good man seeks truth, while a bad system blocks his way. The clash between them drives the film.
Cast and Performances
Rajinikanth leads the film as Devaraj, or Deva. He plays a man of few words and strong will, and his screen presence lifts each scene. Fans cheer his walk, his style and his one-liners. Nagarjuna plays Simon, the main villain. He is calm, cold and cruel, and his quiet style makes Simon scary. This role is a change for Nagarjuna, who often plays heroes. Soubin Shahir plays Dayal, Simon’s trusted aide. Soubin makes his Tamil debut here, bringing a sly, tense edge to the role. Upendra plays Kaleesha, Deva’s loyal friend and right-hand man. It marks his return to Tamil films after many years. Shruti Haasan plays Preethi, Rajasekhar’s daughter, bringing warmth and grit to the role. Sathyaraj plays Rajasekhar, Deva’s friend. The two stars share the screen after nearly four decades, while Rachita Ram, Kanna Ravi, Reba Monica John and Monisha Blessy play key support roles. Aamir Khan appears in a short but talked-about cameo as Dahaa. Pooja Hegde appears in the song Monica, and her dance moves in that song went viral online. The cast is one of the film’s biggest strengths. Each star gets a clear role, and no one feels wasted. The mix of stars from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films gives Coolie a pan-India feel, and it is one more reason the film drew crowds in many states. For fans of Tamil action films like Valimai, this large cast is a big draw.
Direction, Music and Technical Craft
Lokesh Kanagaraj directs Coolie with his trademark style. His films are known for slick action and dark tones. Coolie is not part of his Lokesh Cinematic Universe, as he has said himself. The film stands alone, and its theme is gold smuggling, not drugs. That sets it apart from his past films like Vikram and Leo. Lokesh first wrote this script in 2015, and he reworked it after Rajinikanth showed interest. The action scenes are staged by Anbariv, a top stunt duo, and the fights are raw and hard-hitting. The camera work by Girish Gangadharan is rich and moody, and he shot the film in Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur and Bangkok. The edit by Philomin Raj keeps the pace tight in most parts. Some viewers felt the second half drags a bit. But the craft stays strong throughout. Anirudh Ravichander scores the film. His songs Chikitu, Monica and Powerhouse became hits before release. Monica, sung by Sublahshini and Anirudh, topped charts, and its hook step trended on social media. The background score pumps up the action scenes. It gives Deva’s entry and fight scenes extra punch. The film cost 350 to 400 crore rupees to make. That makes it one of the costliest Indian films ever. The scale shows on screen in sets, stunts and crowd scenes. The film was shot from July 2024 to March 2025, and that long shoot helped Lokesh get the look he wanted.
Box Office and Reception
Coolie opened to huge numbers. Trade reports say it earned 153 crore rupees across the world on day one, which was a record opening for a Tamil film. The film kept its pace through the first weekend. After two weeks, it had earned about 476 crore rupees across the world. Trade tracker Pinkvilla puts the final worldwide total at 501 crore rupees. India alone gave 323 crore rupees. That made Coolie the top Tamil film of 2025 at the box office, and it also ranks among the top Tamil films of all time. Note that trade figures vary by tracker, so totals differ slightly from source to source. Critics gave mixed reviews. Many praised Rajinikanth’s screen presence and the action, along with the music and the scale. But some felt the second half was uneven, and some said the high hopes hurt the film. Fans, though, loved the mass moments. Theatres saw huge crowds in the first days. The film clashed with War 2 at the box office, and Coolie led that clash by a wide margin. In the end, it turned into a commercial success. It proved once more that Rajinikanth’s pull at the box office stays strong. The film carries an A certificate, which is rare for a big Rajinikanth film, and even so, crowds poured in.
Where to Watch and Final Verdict
Coolie reached Amazon Prime Video on 11 September 2025, less than a month after its cinema release, and it streams in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. You need an active Prime Video plan to watch it. The Hindi version was not part of the first streaming announcement. If you like high-energy action with a strong star cast, Coolie is worth a watch. It is not a perfect film, and the second half sags in places. But the action, music and Rajinikanth’s presence make it a fun big-screen style watch at home. For fans of South Indian Movies, it is a must-see. Coolie shows why Rajinikanth remains a force in Tamil cinema. Watch it for the star, the music and the mass moments. You can find more films like this in our Movies section, right here on MoviesDa.
