Nagarjuna Mania: Fans celebrate 'Coolie' release with grand gestures; light firecrackers, confetti, display fan-made posters
Nagarjuna is playing the antagonist in
Lokesh Kanagaraj
's Rajinikanth-starrer 'Coolie'. Fans in Hyderabad are celebrating the big release featuring their beloved Tollywood star today, on the release date of the film, and are also celebrating his birthday ahead of August 29.
Glorifying Nagarjuna
At
Gokul
Theatre in Hyderabad, the celebrations took a grand turn when fans climbed onto the theatre's roof to garland a massive cut-out of Nagarjuna. Videos shared by a paparazzo on Instagram captured the fans lighting fireworks up the sky, confetti raining down, and fan-made posters of the actor were proudly displayed. A fan is seen to have brought milk packets to perform the traditional "paal abhishekam" (milk shower) on Nagarjuna's images, a ritual often reserved for major star releases in the South.
In Vizag, fans also pulled out all the stops. Large custom-made flags bearing Nagarjuna's 'Coolie' character 'Simon' were waved high, while crackers and colourful smoke bombs turned the streets into a carnival-like atmosphere.
Fans celebrate Nagarjuna's birthday
With Nagarjuna's birthday falling on 29 August, fans also decided to combine the two occasions. One giant poster at the venue read, "Advance Happy Birthday Annayya," and just like the other cut-outs, it too was doused in milk as dhol beats and festive music filled the air.
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by Taboola
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About the movie 'Coolie'
'Coolie', directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stars Rajinikanth's Deva against Nagarjuna's Simon in a high-voltage action drama. The star-studded cast also includes
Soubin Shahir
, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Upendra, and Aamir Khan, with music composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
The initial reviews of 'Coolie' paint a mixed picture. Rajinikanth's performance is widely praised for his charisma, energy, and screen presence. Fans have been talking about the film's action sequences, especially the mansion and hostel fights on social media, and have also mentioned Anirudh Ravichander's music elevating the experience. Meanwhile, some fans also find the story weak and disjointed, with an overstuffed, uneven screenplay.
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Indian Express
20 minutes ago
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Coolie box office collection Day 6: Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj's pan-Indian entertainer dips further, passes Rs 400 crore worldwide
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20 minutes ago
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Coolie feels like 1992 Mammootty film rip-off; Lokesh Kanagaraj missed Rajinism 101, Rajinikanth shines best with OG fan-directors
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From the start, Coolie gives the impression that Lokesh either had no clue what he was writing or, worse, makes us wonder whether it was he who truly penned his earlier films. The sheer volume of directionlessness and plot holes per square foot in Coolie is such that it eventually leaves one wondering what deserves more hate: the writing or Lokesh's uninspired execution. After an initial series of underwhelming moments, one would hope for 'Thalaivar' to make an appearance and take charge. However, Lokesh delivers what can only be described as the most colourless Rajinikanth intros of all time. Even the supposedly 'sleek' shots of him 'stylishly' using butcher knives come across as artificial, with Girish Gangadharan's cinematography, which did wonders in Vikram, Jallikkattu, and Angamaly Diaries, looking cartoonish here. Anyone who grew up watching Rajinikanth's films knows one fundamental truth: he possesses a pace and rhythm that are unmatched. Although filmmakers like to showcase him in slow motion due to the sharpness of his movements, his inherent swiftness is an even bigger part of his trademark. This not only adds to his swagger but also helps to mask his limitations as an actor when it comes to exploring complex, layered emotions deeply. While he is not just about cigarette flicks and sunglass twirls, there exists a fine line between portraying Rajinism as natural and artificial. And it's best presented by filmmakers who are OG fans of Rajinikanth. Consider the mass Rajinikanth films directed by SP Muthuraman, KS Ravikumar, Suresh Krissna, S Shankar, Pa Ranjith and Karthik Subbaraj. One thing visible in all these films — such as Priya, Pokkiri Raja, Mr Bharath, Velaikkaran, Muthu, Padayappa, Annamalai, Baashha, Sivaji: The Boss, Kabali, Kaala and Petta — is the palpable enjoyment the directors seem to have had when presenting 'Thalaivar' on screen. They all appear thrilled to capture him through the lens. 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Sure, a filmmaker needn't spoon-feed everything, but at the very least, the dots should be revealed so that the audience can connect them. Not just in its writing and presentation, but Coolie disappoints in its technical aspects too. The colour palette in most scenes was so pretentious that I couldn't tell if I was watching a Lokesh film or a Sun TV serial. While the use of 'Thamarai Poovukum' in Leo felt in tune with the aesthetics, the filmmaker's attempt to replicate that in Coolie backfires. From the odd placement of the track 'Monica' and the mediocre background scores to the underuse of 'Powerhouse' and the lack of fluidity in editing, Coolie never truly impresses. Yes, the overuse of 'Hukum – Thalaivar Alappara' in Jailer was a letdown, but that doesn't mean composer Anirudh Ravichander should have almost entirely avoided using the title track here. Towards the end, Lokesh even attempts to take Coolie into 'appa paasam' territory, with both Deva and Simon leaning into this. 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