Coolie director Lokesh Kanagaraj says Rajinikanth made him 'cry and laugh' - 'When you listen to him, it gives you a feeling of...'

Coolie director Lokesh Kanagaraj on his experience of collaborating with Rajinikanth, and how the Jailer star made him ‘cry’, ‘laugh’ and ‘reflect on life’.

Coolie director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rajinikanth

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s highly anticipated Tamil film, Coolie, starring Rajinikanth in the lead role, is set to hit theatres on Aug 14, 2025, as an Independence Day weekend release. Even with three months left for the release, the film is generating much hype and fans are eager to know how the Lokesh Kanagaraj-Rajinikanth collaboration will unfold on the screen. The Vikram director recently spoke about his experience of collaborating with the Jailer star, and how he made him ‘cry’, ‘laugh’ and ‘reflect on life’.

Lokesh Kanagaraj on Rajinikanth

Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has helmed popular Tamil films such as Kaithi joined forces with the Superstar for Coolie, touted to be an action thriller. In a recent interview with Sudhir Srinivasan, Lokesh Kanagaraj opened up about his interactions with the iconic star, who has been in the industry for more than four decades.

"I can't even say what and all I have shared with the man in the past one year. He made me sit and realise. He made me cry, made me laugh," the Kaithi director said, before quickly adding that 'cry in a good sense'.

"Such a great person, what and all he has seen. When you listen to him, what and all has happened in his life, it gives you a feeling of - who are we? Looking at his stature, we feel very small,” Lokesh remarked.

Coolie cast

Actors from across industries are said to be part of Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie, with rumours even claiming Bollywood star Aamir Khan could also be making an appearance. Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir, among others are part of the cast, while Pooja Hegde will be seen in a special dance number.

Anirudh Ravichander, who scored a hit with the Manasilaayo track from Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan which also featured Manju Warrier, is back on board for Coolie as well. Anirudh also composed the music for Jailer, which saw tremendous success. You can watch Jailer, which was also released ahead of Independence Day in August 2023, on SunNXT and OTTplay Premium

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