MS Dhoni and Coolie composer Anirudh play Padel at Chennai court. Viral video
7Padel is a 20,000-square-foot facility that houses three Padel courts, a pickleball court, a swimming pool, gym, recovery room, cafe and a sauna.MS Dhoni shares a close connection with Chennai, having played for Chennai Super Kings for almost two decades. Anirudh Ravichander, too, has had a few encounters with MS Dhoni in the past. In the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Anirudh performed at the Chepauk Stadium ahead of Chennai Super Kings' opening match of the series.At the inauguration of his brand, MS Dhoni spoke about his love for Chennai and why he chose to launch the court in the city.On the work front, Anirudh Ravichander is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film, 'Coolie', starring Superstar Rajinikanth. The songs were released at the film's audio launch on August 2 and are already chartbusters. 'Coolie' will hit theatres on August 14, and will clash with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's 'War 2'.- EndsMust Watch
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Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Nagarjuna's fans go from pouring milk on cutout to expressing frustration his role was ‘wasted' in Coolie
Lokesh Kanagaraj's Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie, which features Nagarjuna as the antagonist Simon, was released in theatres on 14 August. Nagarjuna's fans in Hyderabad put up pictures of him at theatres and celebrated the film's release with exuberance. (Follow live updates on Coolie and War 2 release) Nagarjuna's fans put up pictures of the actor in theatres and celebrated the release of Coolie. (Instagram: Artistry Buzz) Nagarjuna's fans celebrate Coolie release A video posted by a paparazzo on Instagram shows Nagarjuna's fans climbing onto the roof of Gokul Theatre in Hyderabad and garlanding a massive picture of the actor. The video also shows them bursting rockets and crackers outside the theatre, while holding up fan-made posters of Nagarjuna and throwing confetti. Fans didn't just bring along crackers and flowers; they also brought along milk packets to pour on pictures of Nagarjuna to celebrate Coolie's release. Nagarjuna's birthday is 29 August, and it looks like some fans decided to celebrate it a few days early. Some pictures from the theatre show fans posting a picture at the theatre with 'Advance Happy Birthday Annayya (brother)' written on it. Fans poured milk on this poster too, playing dhol music and throwing confetti while at it. Fans in Vizag also brought along custom-made flags with Nagarjuna's character Simon from Coolie printed on them. To celebrate the film's release, they also burst crackers and smoke bombs. Fans feel Nagarjuna was wasted in Coolie However, it seems like once they watched the film, Nagarjuna's fans were disappointed and felt he was wasted in the film. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'Movie was good , climax was super fun But honestly, Nagarjuna's character felt wasted & the movie lacked a strong villain.' Another wrote, 'Wasted Nagarjuna and Sathyaraj's characters.' One hurt fan questioned, 'Simon character ending scene ela oppukunnaru sir koncham kuda manassakshi ledha? Aina matladi waste @iamnagarjuna. (How did you agree to the ending scene of Simon's character, don't you have a heart?)' Some wrote that Nagarjuna acted 'good' but that his 'potential was wasted'. A fan even wrote, 'Nagarjuna looks stylish obviously but what's the use when you don't have any swag to pull this role.' Not everyone agreed, though, because some thought him and Soubin Shahir showed 'peak level villainism' in the film. Another wrote,. 'Nagarjuna acting and screen presence is equally mass as Rajni.' One even wrote, 'My favorite characters in the movie #Coolie are #Soubin, #Nagarjuna, and #ShrutiHaasan. I really liked their characters and their performances.' About Coolie Coolie is directed by Lokesh, produced by Sun Pictures, and features music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. The film, which was released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, stars Rajinikanth as Deva and Nagarjuna as Simon. Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Upendra and Aamir Khan also play key roles in it.
Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
War 2 box office collection day 1 (updated live): With lukewarm reviews, Hritik Roshan, Jr NTR's film lags behind Coolie
War 2 box office collection day 1 (updated live): Ayan Mukerji's Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR-starrer War 2 was released in theatres on 14 August, clashing with Lokesh Kanagaraj's Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie. According to the trade website Sacnilk, the YRF Spy Universe film is lagging behind its competitor as of 2 PM. (Follow live updates on Coolie and War 2 release) War 2 box office collection day 1 (updated live): Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan headline the spy thriller. War 2 box office collection @ 2 PM According to the trade website, War 2 has collected ₹17.07 crore net in India, as of 3 PM on Thursday. Comparatively, Coolie has made ₹28.33 crore net in the same time. War 2 showed an overall Hindi occupancy of 16.37%, Telugu occupancy of 74.68% and Tamil occupancy of 27.85% at the time of writing. Interestingly, War 2 showed higher occupancy in Chennai (69%) and Hyderabad (50%) as of Thursday afternoon, when compared to Mumbai or NCR (both 14%). Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR on War 2 spoilers Hrithik, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani had taken part in limited promotions for War 2 ahead of the film's release, choosing to keep the story under wraps. Ahead of the film's release, Hrithik and Jr NTR even urged fans not to leak the spoilers from the film. 'War 2 has been made with a lot of love, a lot of time and a lot of passion. The best way to experience this cinematic spectacle is in the theatres as the constant twists and turns of this dramatic story unfold in front of your eyes,' said Hrithik in a press release. Tarak echoed his sentiment and said, 'When someone comes to the theatres to watch War 2, they should feel the same amount of joy, thrill, and entertainment as you have felt watching War 2 for the first time. Spoilers are no fun, and they hugely impact the film-watching experience. Please give us a lot of love and let the story of War 2 be a secret to everyone. We are counting on you.' War 2 is a sequel to the 2019 hit film War, which was directed by Siddharth Anand. Hrithik reprises his role as RAW agent Kabir as he faces off against Jr NTR's elite operative named Vikram. Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor play key roles in the film. War 2 is produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films.
Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Coolie movie review: Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram-lite is scattered and messy; Rajinikanth still packs a punch
Coolie movie review Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Rachita Ram, Sathyaraj, and Aamir Khan Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj Rating: ★★.5 The coming together of Rajinikanth, arguably the biggest mass star in Indian cinema since Amitabh Bachchan, and Lokesh Kanagaraj, one of the few directors in Tamil cinema to have mastered this new-mass grammar, was widely anticipated. Having given Vijay and Kamal Haasan their biggest hits, Lokesh was considered the perfect candidate to bring back 'vintage' Rajinikanth to the screen. That the superstar still had it was evident with Jailer's success. Perhaps it was that heavy burden of expectations, or simply Lokesh's lofty ambitions, but Coolie does not simply fall short, but stumbles and staggers its way along that route. It is a confusing film, as much as it is confused, lifted largely by Rajinikanth's undimmed aura, Aniruddh's masterful score, and some brilliantly shot fight sequences. Coolie review: Lokesh Kanagaraj's film answers a question - can Rajinikanth's swag save an average film? Deva (Rajinikanth) runs a hostel in a mansion in Chennai. But, he has a dark past, one that threatens to return after his old friend Rajashekhar (Sathyaraj) is killed. Deva must now protect his friend's daughters (although we focus largely on Shruti Haasan, ignoring the other two), and infiltrate the gang of Simon (Nagarjuna), who may hold the key to his friend's death. But hounding him is Simon's lackey, the unpredictable Dayal (Soubin Shahir), leading Deva to wonder if he has bitten off more than he can chew. Let us first address the elephant in the room. An ageing man with a dark past is spurred into action due to the death of a loved one, and now he must dismantle a criminal enterprise led by a mercurial villain. And oh, there is a bigger baddie somewhere played by a superstar. This is the plot of both Vikram and Coolie. The difference is merely in the presentation. But while in Vikram, Lokesh was very much in command of the narrative, in Coolie, one can feel he has let the reins go a little too much. The film meanders in all directions, ending up as almost a diluted version of his 2021 hit. And sadly, it lacks many of the things that made Vikram so enjoyable - cohesion, crispness, and direction. Rajinkanth is the heart and soul of the film. At 74, the ageing superstar still lords over the screen, drawing loud cheers and whistles even at the twitch of an eyebrow. Very few actors can manage this connect with the audience across cultures. Even in a film as uneven as Coolie, Rajinikanth's presence and persona are among the saving graces. From meta references to signature cigarette twirls, Rajinikanth excels in everything he does on screen. His presence alone is enough to make the film exponentially watchable. Nagarjuna's villain is menacing and ruthless, but not very impactful. The flashback sequences featuring a de-aged Rajini are also done well, blending nostalgia with mass for an audience who has not seen Rajinikanth prime on the big screen in this manner. But, to me, the real star of the film is Anirudh. The young composer has been proving himself time and again, be it Vikram, Jailer, Jawan, or Leo. In Coolie, he may not have set the internet on fire with a definitive track (think Rolex Theme, Jawan whistle, or Hukum). But with his score, he elevates the film in its dull moments. At any moment when Coolie threatens to cling to the tropes and go to templates, Aniruddh saves the day. Anbariv's action, presented beautifully by Lokesh, adds to that audio-visual charm. The combine yet again gives you action that is slick and does invite a gasp or two. But after a while, you do feel, if Lokesh is settling into a pattern, which is less of a signature and more of a type. Nagarjuna, playing a rare negative role in a commercial film, does well. But again, he cannot match up to some of the memorable villains that this genre of cinema has given in the last half a decade alone. A mass actioner's hero shines only because he is fighting a memorable villain. Despite the superstar's best attempts (and a decent performance), the script does not allow him to be memorable. He is convincing, just not impactful. That job is done by Soubin Shahir. He has the more fleshed-out role, better-written scenes, and a character that most actors would kill for. To Soubin's credit, he makes it his own. If his dance was the talk of the town before the release, his scenes and dialogue will flood the internet now. Soubin Shahir gives the most memorable performance of Coolie. Shruti Haasan has done well with the role she has, even matching Rajini in certain confrontational scenes. Rachita Ram also leaves an impact. But the two superstarry cameos are very uneven. Upendra gets more to do on screen than just be. Everything from his entry to fight scenes has fan service written all over it. But Lokesh proves again that if done right, that is not a bad thing to do. He and Rajinikanth fighting in tandem, like a tag team of wrestlers in a battle royal, is a visual treat and something that fans of both actors will cherish. On the other hand, Aamir Khan's Dahaa is confusing to say the least. If Lokesh wanted a Rolex 2.0 with this, he failed here. Aamir does brilliantly as the unpredictable gangster, but the presence of the character adds very little to the narrative. With Rolex, there was a promise of a payoff. But with Dahaa, it is just an attempt at 'pan-Indiaing' this film, which feels very inorganic. Coolie is not a bad film. Far from it! But it certainly is a squandered opportunity. The combination of Rajinikanth and Lokesh should have given the viewers much more than what it is.
