After long-awaited Coolie the Power House directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj has finally released, yes, the name Coolie the Power House is for the Hindi audience only and for the other languages the movie is called Coolie only. It is a pan-India as the movie has been released in five languages which are Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam, not only in terms languages what make Coolie a pan-India film it the star cast too. As the cast of Coolie is from all over major film industry in India. The film arrived with sky-high expectations, especially after the director’s success with Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo. And if you ever want to learn how to completely fool the audience with a trailer, meet Lokesh Kanagaraj once. The Coolie trailer was barely 1% of the film, while the remaining 99% in theatres shredded minds into pieces. Everything was kept hidden. The first reason this movie is such a big deal is that it marks 50 years of Superstar Rajinikanth in the film industry. That’s no small achievement. Even after half a century, he continues to hold his ground as a lead hero with the same charisma, which is an example in itself. Now, coming to the film itself this is one of the most awaited mass-cinema events of the year. On one side, you have War 2 with Jr. NTR and Hrithik Roshan from the YRF spy universe, and on the other, Rajinikanth’s Coolie, which was already running house-full due to the hype. Reports suggest it touched the ₹100 crore mark on opening day alone. But does it deserve that hype? Let’s dive in.

The Review

I won’t give away spoilers, but the basic story revolves around a daughter worried because her father is stuck in a dangerous situation and died mysteriously. As a close friend, the protagonist plays by Rajinikanth who is a retired coolie steps back into her life to protect her, and that’s where the real story begins. Now, the big question most people have: Is this movie part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU)? The director, Lokesh Kanagaraj, himself confirmed in a post thanking the cast and crew that Coolie is a standalone film. So don’t expect it to be tied to the LCU. The first half of the movie is full of emotional moments and elevation scenes, and the second half is loaded with action, twists, and turns. Lokesh’s magic is clearly visible.

The films remind you of Jailer a past movie of Rajinikanth. The most important point—Coolie was certified “A” for adults but after watching the film, I can confirm it was a serious decision. The bloodshed and brutality are intense. Also, the “A” rating feels undeserved—there’s barely any brutality, and no offensive language at all. So why did the makes make the decision of giving it a “A” rating. The film is described as a “mid movie”—not terrible, but not impactful either. Its run time is 3 hr. And in this time the film is full of constant twists and turns. Every time you think the story is heading in one direction, it flips into another, then flips again. It becomes an endless cycle of “I’m two steps ahead, no I’m four steps ahead, actually I’m eight steps ahead.” Nagarjuna plays the villain, with a polished business front but shady illegal operations behind the scenes. His son is also linked to Rajini’s past. The mysterious chair, hyped in the trailer, does have a place, but not the way fan theories predicted (the reviewer avoids spoilers). Overall, the film feels more like a celebration and homage to Rajinikanth’s 50 years in cinema rather than a sharp, well-executed story. Well, this film is more over as a Lokesh Kanagaraj’s fanboy project—a dream come true of working with his idol Rajinikanth. The black-and-white posters, gold aesthetics, and star reveals built massive hype before release. But the film plays out very similar to Vikram, but film is not as good as Vikram, and it doesn’t reach the greatness of Vikram. Well, the movie is a truly true pan-India film, not just in scale/budget but in casting as well Rajinikanth from Tamil film industry, Aamir Khan from Hind film industry, Nagarjuna from Telugu film industry, Upendra Kannada film industry And Soubin Shahir from the Malayalam film industry.

 And in terms of the performances Rajinikanth is the heart of the movie as his charisma, swagger, and aura carry the film, both in the present and in flashbacks where we see him 30–35 years younger. The action choreography smartly disguises his age, keeping him stylish and powerful on screen. And for Nagarjuna stands out as the antagonist, bringing menace and charm in equal measure. Now for the man for whom I was more excited to see in the Monica song more than Pooja Hegde is Soubin Shahir a surprise package, impressing strongly despite limited national recognition. And for the role of the Aamir Khan & Upendra was disappointing, as their roles were heavily hyped but appear underdeveloped and feel more like cameos. Anirudh’s Background Score a major highlight, giving energy, intensity, and emotional weight. Many scenes owe their impact to his music also he elevates the aura moments and keeps the film energetic. Now talking about the Positives and Negatives of the film.

Positives and Negatives of the film

 Final Verdict and Rating

My Final Verdict on this movie is that Coolie is neither a disaster nor a masterpiece—it sits firmly in the middle. It’s a stylish, star-studded Rajinikanth celebration with a mystery-driven narrative, elevated by Anirudh’s music and grand visuals. But indulgent pacing, underutilized stars, and lack of LCU connections keep it from greatness.

My Rating: 3.5/5

IMDb Rating: 6.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes : 58%