South megastar Rajinikanth’s much-hyped project, Coolie, hit the theatres today, August 14, 2025, and the first reactions are already in. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film was a mega-collaboration featuring a star-studded cast, including Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and Aamir Khan in a cameo. Given the hype, the film had sky-high expectations, and the fan frenzy was so high that the early morning special shows started as early as 5 am. However, as per early reactions from audiences, the picture is rather divided, with perhaps a greater inclination towards the negative.

Fans flood theatres since early morning for Thalaiva’s latest venture

Coolie is the 171st outing in Rajinikanth’s, aka Thalaiva’s, 50-year acting career. Fans have been in a frenzy ever since the makers teased the megastar’s first-ever collaboration with Lokesh Kanagaraj, the much-celebrated director of mass hits like Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo. Today, since the early morning shows, theatres echoed in cheers and whistles as Rajinikanth made his grand entry with Anirudh Ravichander’s energetic BGM. Fans also gave a big shoutout to Pooja Hegde’s now-viral dance number. 

X users are divided about their reviews of Coolie

Some die-hard Rajinikanth fans came out of the theatres with as much zeal and excitement as they had when they went in. Many viewers declared Coolie a “full-on Rajini rollercoaster” filled with style, swag, and mass action. Positive reviews praised Rajinikanth’s charisma, Nagarjuna’s impactful antagonist role, and the action set pieces. One user raved on X (formerly Twitter):

“From the very first frame, Rajinikanth owns the screen… Action sequences are jaw-dropping, comedy lands, emotions hit — mass entertainment redefined.”

However, not all audiences were impressed by how the film turned out overall. The storyline with heavy special effects did not last. Several early watchers of Coolie found the first half flat but watchable and slammed the second half as dragged, predictable, and over the top. Aamir Khan’s cameo, though a surprise, didn’t sway their opinion. One viewer wrote:

“Flew in with so much excitement and high hopes for #Coolie but walked out feeling heavy-hearted the story dragged on the action felt tired and sadly the magic we had all been waiting for just never showed up.”

When it’s a Lokesh Kanagaraj film, it’s bound to draw comparisons with his past hits. Some fans compared Coolie to Leo, Thug Life, and Indian 2, suggesting Lokesh Kanagaraj leaned too heavily on familiar beats. And when the songs become the ultimate saving grace, it rarely creates an overall positive experience for viewers. Hashtags like #CoolieDisaster are now becoming popular on X, with fans saying, “#CoolieAudioLaunch is better than the #Coolie movie.”

The verdict so far

While there’s no denying the fact that Coolie delivered festival-like fan moments and powerful star performances, the mixed reactions on social media show that not everyone left the theatre satisfied. Whether it becomes a box-office juggernaut or fades after the initial hype will depend on word of mouth in the coming days.

Have you watched Rajinikanth’s Coolie yet?

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