Though the Coolie audio launch on Saturday was a ticketed event, fans were treated to snippets from superstar Rajinikanth’s speech, shared widely by social media influencers who attended the show. From witty jabs to heartfelt praise, here are ten moments that stood out:
“In Mankatha, director Venkat Prabhu gave Ajith Kumar a powerful line: ‘Evlo naal dha naanum nallavanave nadikradhu?’ That line suits Nagarjuna perfectly. He’s delivered a terrific performance in a negative role in Coolie.”
“Lokesh Kanagaraj once told me, ‘I’m a fan of Kamal Haasan sir.’ I said, ‘Did I ask you? Did I ever ask whose fan you are?’ (laughs) It was his indirect way of telling me this isn’t just a masala film with punch dialogues; it’s an intelligent one.”
"The real hero of this film is director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Coolie carried sky-high expectations, but it was built purely on organic anticipation. When the most successful commercial director teams up with me and a star-studded cast, that alone creates a storm.”
“Sathyaraj and I have our ideological differences. But he’s someone who’s always upfront with me. You can trust people who speak openly. But never trust those who stay silent.”
“Lokesh gave a two-hour-long interview. I tried watching it sitting down—couldn’t. Tried lying down—still couldn’t. I even napped and woke up to watch it. Still couldn’t do it!”
“People have been asking me for interviews for the past five years. I won’t give one ever. Because they’ll make me remove my coat, place it on the sofa... and slowly start pulling out all my secrets!”
“After Nagarjuna was cast, Lokesh told me, ‘There’s one more big star doing a cameo. You won’t believe who it is.’ I immediately thought of Kamal Haasan, since Lokesh had worked with him before and is his fan. I was on cloud nine.”
“Aamir Khan—what an actor, what dedication! He has the biggest market in Hindi cinema, yet he took up this role in Coolie. So sweet of him. Aamir, I’m your fan.”
"At one point, I asked Lokesh who he had in mind for that key female role. He said it was Shruti Haasan. I was taken aback and asked if he had already spoken to her. He replied, 'Shruti is just waiting for your approval.' I had seen her in 3 and thought she was very glamorous, so I asked her if she felt ready to take on such a layered character. And now, having seen her performance, I can confidently say she’s done a fantastic job. Interestingly, she told me she was more excited to act alongside me than in her father's films. She said, there's no pressure here like there is there."
"Sandy told me we’d make a big impact right from the first song. I laughed and said, ‘Look, I’m a 1950s model, I’ve run lakhs of kilometres, with parts replaced and upgraded over time. So don’t push me too hard… handle me with care!’"