Is Rajinikanth's Coolie a sci-fi movie with time travel elements? Lokesh Kanagaraj addresses the million-dollar question: ‘I'm so excited to see people…'

Indian Express

04-08-2025

With just 10 days to go for the worldwide release of Coolie, celebrated director Lokesh Kanagaraj's first film featuring the ultimate 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, a festive spirit has already gripped moviegoers across the country. Although Coolie has to clash with director Ayan Mukerji's Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR-starrer War 2, which also releases on April 14, at the box office, the general perception is that the Rajinikanth-starrer will emerge victorious in the showdown, unless War 2 opens to rave reviews and Lokesh Kanagaraj's actioner is widely panned.
Ever since Coolie's trailer arrived on Saturday, eagle-eyed fans have been scanning it for easter eggs, the kind of subtle details the director is known for including in his films and promotional materials. Though over 3 minutes long, the trailer has been carefully crafted to reveal only just enough to keep the audience's excitement and hype high, without giving too much away about the plot. Among the many assumptions and inferences fans drew, the most intriguing speculation is that Coolie might be a science-fiction (sci-fi) film with elements of time travel.
As netizens continue to rack their brains on this, director Lokesh Kanagaraj himself has reacted to such fan theories. Maintaining that he, too, has come across such speculative pieces, Lokesh said at a Coolie pre-release event, 'I used to read all those things, but it surprises me as well. Just now I was discussing it with Sathyaraj sir that everybody says it's a sci-fi film and it's a time-travel film… I am so excited to see people, who are going to be surprised when they actually see what the film is all about.'
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During the event, he also talked about his experience working with Rajinikanth after directing Kamal Haasan in the blockbuster Vikram (2022). When asked if he felt there were any major differences between the two as actors, he said, 'There is no difference, both are legends. Both of them are like my eyes, and I can't say which one (is the best or how different they are).'
Also starring Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan and Sathyaraj in key roles, and Aamir Khan in a cameo role, Coolie features music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Girish Gangadharan and editing by Philomin Raj. It is bankrolled by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures.