Saurabh Kumbhar

From the trailer to the theatre, I had high expectations from *Coolie* and director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Rajinikanth’s aura, acting, and dialogue delivery are absolutely superb. Nagarjuna is shown in mass action mode—something we haven’t really seen since *Meri Jang One Man Army*, which many of us watched on Set Max during our childhood. Lokesh has his own cinematic universe (LCU) that includes *Kaithi*, *Vikram*, and *Leo*. But compared to *Vikram* and *Kaithi*, *Coolie* feels average. The sets, scenes, direction, and cinematography don’t give the impression of Lokesh’s usual style. Aamir Khan’s cameo is very disappointing. Shruti Haasan, however, delivers well. In the end, the movie is purely Rajini-focused—full of mass action and entertainment. But it doesn’t meet the expectations of LCU fans. For Rajini fans, though, it’s a total dilemma—exciting in parts, but not quite what was expected.