‘Coolie' cost me 2 years of life': Lokesh Kanagaraj on his obsession with Rajinikanth's action spectacle
sums up the last two years of his life — completely consumed by one project and one legend:
.
With the mega film 'Coolie' set to roar into theatres on August 14, the anticipation is sky-high. Featuring a powerhouse ensemble Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shruti Haasan, and a cameo by
the film is surely one of the highly awaited projects.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A two-year tunnel vision
In a recent interview, as reported by Filmyscoops, Lokesh got candid about the sheer intensity of his commitment. 'The last two years, all I did was Coolie. No family, no friends, nothing else,' he said. For the filmmaker who's delivered hits like Kaithi and Vikram, this wasn't just another biggie — it was a full-blown life chapter.
Aamir Khan's Rugged Debut Look as 'Dahaa' in Rajinikanth's 'Coolie' Officially Revealed
He revealed that he spent his 36th and 37th birthdays not in celebration, but in complete creative isolation.
He even vanished from social media for months. The reason? Absolute focus. 'I didn't want even an ounce of distraction. 'Coolie' deserved that level of surrender,' Lokesh added.
Beyond 'Coolie': Aamir Khan film In 2026
The Rajini-starrer also features a cameo by Aamir Khan — and that's just a teaser. Sources confirm that Lokesh and Aamir are teaming up for a full-fledged film starting September 2026. The project is expected to blend Lokesh's flair for action storytelling with Aamir's emotional depth — a collaboration already generating buzz in both industries.
With 'Coolie', Lokesh Kanagaraj hasn't just made a movie — he's poured in a slice of his life. The result? A film that might redefine how mass entertainers are made and remembered.
Meanwhile, Lokesh Kanagaraj's previous outing was the Vijay starrer 'Leo', which received good reviews from the audience. 'Leo' also turned out to be a box office success.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
Coolie vs War 2 Box Office Collection Day 5: Which blockbuster movie will be first to join Rs 400 crore club, the winner is...
In vibrant landscape of Indian cinema, two major releases have captured the audience's attention: Coolie and War 2. Both films, featuring star-studded casts and high-octane action sequences, have been vying for box office supremacy since their release on August 14, 2025. As the competition intensifies, the question arises: which film will first enter the coveted Rs 400 crore club? Coolie vs. War 2: Box Office Showdown Rajinikanth's Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has made a significant impact at the box office. The film opened with an impressive Rs 65 crore on its first day in India and amassed Rs 206.5 crore domestically by day five. Globally, as per reports, Coolie has grossed over Rs 404 crore within four days, marking it as one of the fastest Tamil films to achieve this milestone. How much has War 2 collected? In contrast, War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, experienced a strong start but has seen a decline in earnings. The film collected Rs 174.75 crore in India over its opening weekend but dropped to Rs 8.5 crore on day five, bringing its domestic total to Rs 183.25 crore. Worldwide, War 2 has crossed the Rs 200 crore mark but lags behind Coolie in overall collections. What factors have influenced performance of Coolie and War 2 Star Power : Rajinikanth's enduring appeal, Aamir Khan's cameo role and various stars from all the regional industries have significantly contributed to Coolie's success, drawing audiences across demographics. The appearance of Kannada superstar Upendra and Malayalam star Soubin Shahir has garnered, Coolie huge popularity among the masses. : Rajinikanth's enduring appeal, Aamir Khan's cameo role and various stars from all the regional industries have significantly contributed to Coolie's success, drawing audiences across demographics. The appearance of Kannada superstar Upendra and Malayalam star Soubin Shahir has garnered, Coolie huge popularity among the masses. Critical Reception : While Coolie received mixed reviews, its action sequences and performances were praised. War 2, however, faced criticism for its storyline, direction and poor VFX quality, affecting its momentum. : While Coolie received mixed reviews, its action sequences and performances were praised. War 2, however, faced criticism for its storyline, direction and poor VFX quality, affecting its momentum. Market Reach: Coolie's release in multiple languages expanded its reach, whereas War 2 primarily targeted Hindi and Telugu audiences. However, due to the presence of Jr NTR in the film, the film managed to hold its advance booking numbers in Telugu states, but due to the strong presence of Akkineni Nagarjuna, playing antagonist for the first time, Coolie created a strong buzz after its initial release. Summary Coolie has surpassed Rs 400 crore globally within four days, leading the box office race. War 2 has crossed Rs 200 crore worldwide but trails behind Coolie in earnings. Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan and Akkineni Nagarjuna's star power and broader market reach have bolstered Coolie's performance. War 2's critical reception and the negative word of mouth has impacted its box office trajectory.
Pink Villa
16 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Pinkvilla Predicts: Opening day Hindi net box office collections of Param Sundari, Jolly LLB 3, Baaghi 4, The Bengal Files and more
War 2 released over the last weekend and it has sealed itself a disappointing fate. The film packed an underwhelming weekend and came crashing down on Monday. Coolie has performed better. Its Hindi collections can be seen as fair. It's global numbers so far can be seen as exceptional. But with the drops that it is seeing over the weekdays, things don't look too good. However, it will end as one of the highest grossing Kollywood movies of all time, nonetheless. The Hindi Audiences Shall Be Spoiled For Choices With Big Exciting Releases Starting From Param Sundari The exhibitors now have their eyes on the upcoming releases now. It is going to be a busy end to the year. But the focus, for the time being, is on the films of the next one month. Four well-sized Hindi movies, namely Param Sundari, Baaghi 4, The Bengal Files and Jolly LLB 3, are set to release in the next one month. There can be a Hollywood breakouts in the form of Conjuring 4. Then there'll be massive films from October like Kantara: Chapter 1 (Hindi), Thama and more. Farhan Akhar's war film 12 Bahadur can surprise, and then the year will end with Dhurandhar, The Raja Saab (Hindi), Kartik Aaryan and Sreeleela's untitled next with Anurag Basu, Alpha and of course, Avatar: Fire and Ash. 1. Param Sundari: Rs 10.00 Crore to Rs 11.00 Crore (Release Date: August 29, 2025) Directed by Tushar Jalota and starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, this Maddock Films' release has generated good excitement, thanks to its well-cut teaser and soulful songs. The movie will get good screens since the run of War 2 and Coolie in Hindi will have come to an end. With good reviews, the movie can flirt with the double digits on the opening day. It does not have an open run with big releases from 5th September. But if it strikes a chord with the audience, it can continue being a nice counter-programming option, even in week 2. 2. Baaghi 4: Rs 8.00 Crore to Rs 9.00 Crore (Release Date: September 5, 2025) Baaghi 4 is the fourth installment of the Baaghi franchise. It stars Tiger Shroff, along with Sanjay Dutt, Sonam Bajwa, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu and others. The trailer of the movie is gory, and those expecting an action feast should be getting one. However, the trailer has not been received as well as it should have, by the larger section of the audience. A clash with The Bengal Files won't be helping and then, of course there also is Conjuring 4 which will have its own dedicated audience. We expect the movie to take a Rs 8.00 - 9.00 crore start. 3. The Bengal Files: Rs 2.50 to Rs 3 Crore (Release Date: September 5, 2025) Vivek Agnihotri is back with The Bengal Files. The film that focuses on the atrocities of the Hindus in West Bengal in the pre-Independence era, has an intrigue around it. The response from exclusively held screenings abroad has been promising, if th opinion of the target audience is anything to go by. We expect the movie to take a Rs 2.50 - 3 crore net start, with a chance to sustain in the days to follow. 4. Jolly LLB 3: Rs 20.00 Crore to Rs 22.00 Crore (Release Date: September 19, 2025) Subhash Kapoor's Jolly LLB 3 starring Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi among others is seen as the biggest and most exciting film of September 2025 for the Hindi audiences. The teaser has been unanimously loved and the other promos are going to release in the next couple of weeks. This comedy threequel looks to take a Rs 20.00 - 22.00 crore opening. In short, it has chances to be one of Akshay Kumar's top 5 openers. 5. 12 Bahadur: Rs 3.00 to Rs 4.00 Crore (Release Date: November 21, 2025) Farhan Akhtar returns back to acting with 12 Bahadur. The first promo of the movie is promising. There is lack of star power, which may curb it from taking a big opening. But it can have a strong word of mouth. We, based on the first promo, predict a Rs 3.00 to 4.00 crore. 6. Dhurandhar: Rs 20.00 Crore to Rs 22 Crore (Release Date: December 5, 2025) Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Oberoi, Sanjay Dutt and many other loved actors, seems like a high octane espionage thriller. The movie clashes with The Raja Saab and Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj's untitled next. We estimate an opening of Rs 20.00 crore to Rs 22 crore net. It will be most preferred movie option of December 5, but it will have to sustain well till the end of the year, for a favourable verdict. It is among the most expensive Indian movies. 7. The Raja Saab: Rs 10.00 Crore to Rs 12.00 Crore (Release Date: December 5, 2025) The Raja Saab, directed by Maruthi, and starring Prabhas is a romantic-action-horror film. Co-starring Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan and Sanjay Dutt, the film looks to take a modest Rs 10.00 crore to Rs 12.00 crore net start. It will most likely be the second most preferred Hindi movie option on 5th December. But it shall, unquestionably, be the biggest opener of the day if all languages are considered. The Day 1 India Box Office Prediction Of Indian Movies In Hindi Is As Under Sr. No Date Movie India Net Hindi Prediction 1 August 29 Param Sundari Rs 10.00 - Rs 11.00 crore 2 September 5 Baaghi 4 Rs 8.00 - Rs 9.00 crore 3 September 5 The Bengal Files Rs 2.50 - Rs 3.00 crore 4 September 19 Jolly LLB 4 Rs 20.00 - Rs 22.00 crore 5 November 21 12 Bahadur Rs 3.00 - Rs 4.00 crore 6 December 5 Dhurandhar Rs 20.00 - Rs 22.00 crore 7 December 5 The Raja Saab Rs 10.00 - Rs 12.00 crore Which upcoming movie of 2025 excites you the most?
Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
Coolie Box Office Collection Day 6: Rajinikanth movie hits massive slowdown after earning ₹200 cr, mints THIS amount
Coolie Box Office Collection Day 6: Rajinikanth's Coolie suffered a massive 65.96% slowdown in earnings on Monday, slowing down its dream run after the ₹ 200 crore milestone. On Tuesday, too, the movie did not pick up much momentum. The Rajinikanth movie, released on August 14 to mark the superstar's 50th year in the industry, enjoyed a record-breaking long weekend at the Indian box office. Coolie is facing fierce competition from Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2. Rajinikanth's Coolie stars Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Reba Monica John, Junior MGR, and Monisha Blessy. Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde also appear in a cameo. According to early estimates of industry tracker Sacnilk, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, earned just ₹ 4.7 crore on Tuesday until 6:30 PM. This figure is significantly lower than what the movie earned during the long weekend. On Monday, the movie earned ₹ 12 crore, of which its Tamil variant contributed the maximum, ₹ 7.75 crore. With this, Coolie's 6-day total stands at ₹ 211.2 crore. The total earnings will be revised later in the evening, once the figures for the evening and night show are declared. The movie has been released in five languages: Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, boosting a pan-India appeal. Coolie, the biggest Indian opener of 2025 at the worldwide box office, earned a gross of ₹ 403 crore globally on Day 5. Of this, the movie minted ₹ 158.45 crore overseas, while its India gross was ₹ 244.55 crore. However, according to the moviemakers, Coolie raked in ₹ 404 crore gross in 4 days, and touted it to be the highest worldwide gross collection in the Tamil film industry. Sacnilk said Coolie became the first Tamil movie to cross the Rs150 crore worldwide mark on its opening day, cementing its place in cinematic history. Coolie's Day 6 global earnings will be published tomorrow, Wednesday.
