As Coolie gears up for release, hitting theatres 50 years after Rajinikanth debuted in films with Apoorva Ragangal, Lokesh Kanagaraj has opened up about how he roped in an ensemble cast for the film.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the filmmaker reveals that convincing Nagarjuna to step into the shoes of an antagonist took nearly five months and multiple narrations. “He made me narrate the story seven or eight times. Not because he didn’t like it, but because he wasn’t easily convinced to play a villain. But when I finally handed him the bound script, he said, ‘Okay, Lokesh. If I don’t do this now, when will I?’”
Lokesh says Nagarjuna, who breaks new ground as the villain, was fully immersed in the role. “With a hero, you’re bound by limits. As a baddie, you can break all the rules. Every time he had to use a swear word, he’d look at me and say, ‘Lokesh, I’ve never done this in 40 years!’ I asked him how his family might react, and he said, ‘I’ll know only after the release.’”
Joining him is Sathyaraj, who reunites with Rajinikanth after 38 years since Mr Bharat—a film that came out the very year Lokesh was born. “While he was initially hesitant, when I eventually approached Sathyaraj sir with the character, he was more than happy to take it up,” he says.
Lokesh, who has now worked with nearly 20 action stars across his six films, says casting legends like Upendra, Sathyaraj, and Nagarjuna was driven by childhood dreams. “I wanted to collaborate with all the action heroes I grew up watching. According to me, a good film must have at least five fight sequences,” he adds with a laugh.
But the biggest surprise came from Rajinikanth. “I didn’t expect him to say yes,” Lokesh admits. “I narrated only the first half and paused at the interval block to ask if he’d be interested. He immediately said yes. I hadn’t even written the second half yet. When I returned a couple of months later with the complete script, he loved it.”
Speaking about Aamir Khan's casting, Lokesh says, "We wanted to keep his casting a secret, and that's why we shot in secret locations. However, Aamir sir said he can't lie in front of the camera when being asked about his casting in Coolie. And so, I told him to tell the truth, and that I would handle the production."
Lokesh also discloses that Soubin Shahir's character was initially not written while keeping him in mind. Lokesh wrote the character for another actor, who couldn't take up the role. He then asked Fahadh Faasil, whose dates were unavailable. Soubin Shahir was then approached and finalised for the character.
Also starring Shruti Haasan, Reba Monica John, and Pooja Hegde in a cameo, Coolie is all set to hit theatres on August 14.
