Coolie: Did Kannada star Upendra make a mistake by saying yes to Rajinikanth's action drama?
Upendra's role, however, has come under criticism. Many feel that it lacks substance and does not do justice to the actor's body of work, which includes cult films such as H2O and Super. So, is the criticism justified? Moreover, did he make a mistake by saying 'yes' to it?
Was Upendra underutilised in Coolie?
Sandalwood legend Shivarajkumar had a power cameo in Jailer (2023). He got a spectacular entry scene and had some memorable interactions with Rajinikanth's character. In fact, in one scene, he even saved his family. The same, however, can't be said about Upendra's role in Coolie. The 'Real Star', much like Shivanna, plays Rajinikanth's aide in the film. Moreover, he too gets a grand entry scene. However, things go downhill soon.
#ಕೂಲಿ ಅಬ್ಬರ ನಾಳೆಯಿಂದ🔥#Coolie storm begins tomorrow🔥#Coolie releasing worldwide August 14th @rajinikanth @Dir_Lokesh @anirudhofficial #AamirKhan @iamnagarjuna @nimmaupendra #SathyaRaj #SoubinShahir @shrutihaasan @Reba_Monica @monishablessyb @hegdepooja @anbariv… pic.twitter.com/o5jgziy9nN
Unlike Jailer director Nelson, Lokesh Kanagaraj fails to explore the dynamics between Upendra's character and the one played by 'Superstar' The rushed and short flashback doesn't make the situation any better. Upendra's character is reduced to an afterthought in these sequences as the focus firmly remains on Rajinikanth's character. Ideally, the flashback should have 'shown' viewers the bond between the two characters.
It should also have featured action blocks designed to showcase Upendra's larger-than-life and eccentric real image. Sadly, Coolie doesn't feature anything along similar lines. Additionally, Upendra hardly speaks. This makes his character like a caricature. Given this, doing Coolie was not the best decision on his part.
What's Coolie about?
Coolie is an action drama directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced under the Sun Pictures banner. It features Rajinikanth as Deva, a former coolie and man of the masses. He develops a bond with Preethi (Shruti Haasan), the 'daughter' of his late friend. The cast includes Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, and Aamir Khan. Anirudh Ravichander is the music director.
Coolie is a standalone film with no connection to the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), which includes titles such as Vikram and Vijay's Leo.
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