As Coolie gears up for release, director Lokesh Kanagaraj and the actors who are a part of the film are busy promoting the Rajinikanth vehicle. In a recent interview with Sudhir Srinivasan, Shruti Haasan opened up about how she joined the film and what she thinks of director Lokesh.

Shruti said that Coolie came to her when she worked with Lokesh on the 'Inimel' song. "During the final discussions for 'Inimel,' Lokesh came over to look at the vision board for the song and casually mentioned Coolie. He hinted that he planned to narrate the script to me soon. I had to patiently finish post-production on my music video before I finally heard the story. I was incredibly excited to work with a filmmaker like Lokesh, but even more so for the opportunity to act alongside Rajini sir; an absolute dream."

Shruti further reveals that she had the opportunity to share the screen with nearly all the stars in the film. "As the script took shape, my character evolved beautifully, and the film just kept getting bigger, with more and more incredible people joining the cast. It’s truly a blessing that I got to share the screen with all the stars," she disclosed.

Having worked with Lokesh on two projects, Shruti has a clear picture of how he is as a filmmaker. "Lokesh really understands the audience’s pulse but still manages to add his signature style to every film. That balance between crowd-pleasing and personal touch has ensured his success. Of his films, Vikram is my favourite; I admit, I’m a bit biased," she shared.

When asked about the role of women being minimal or restricted to romance in commercial films, Shruti said that Coolie did not do that with her character. Furthermore, she explained that in a film with a lot of masculine energy, a good female presence could do magic. She said, with an anecdote, "I did act in an English film called The Eye, which is very oestrogen-heavy. I play the lead, and the film was written, directed, and produced by women. Interestingly, while the narrative is centred on the woman, the man’s presence is pivotal, as the masculine energy is essential to her story. That experience taught me that introducing a strong female character into a testosterone-heavy world can sometimes have an even greater impact."

In Coolie, Shruti Haasan stars as Sathyaraj's daughter and sister to Reba Monica John and Monisha Blessy. Sathyaraj plays Rajinikanth's friend in the upcoming film. Nagarjuna, Upendra, and Soubin Shahir also play prominent roles, while Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde will be seen in cameo appearances. The film is slated to hit theatres on August 14.