16 December,2025 09:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
R Ashwin and Rajinikanth`s Coolie
Rajinikanth's Coolie was one of the most anticipated releases of 2025. It also delivered strong box office numbers; however, it received a varied reception ranging from underwhelming to decent. The film was heavily criticised on social media. Now, former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in support of Lokesh Kanagaraj's film.
Speaking to Galatta Plus, Ashwin mentioned that he disagrees with the opinion that Coolie is not a good film. He shared, "There were many opinions on social media saying that Coolie was not a good movie. I have an issue with that opinion. I watched it when it came to OTT. I watched the film in one stretch without any distraction, and that's my criterion for watching any film on OTT."
The cricketer went on to add that while reviewers may have pointed out several flaws in the film, his personal viewing experience was different. He noted, "As a reviewer, you might find 10 mistakes, but I didn't find many mistakes in Coolie." Ashwin also reflected on the negative word that influenced his decision to skip the film during its theatrical run, saying, "After watching it, I asked myself whether I had allowed my opinion to be influenced by online comments."
Notably, before Ashwin, director Lokesh Kanagaraj had addressed the mixed reactions and noted that audience expectations played a key role. While talking at the SSVM Transforming India Conclave 2025 in Coimbatore, Lokesh explained that Coolie was never intended to be a time-travel film or even part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). He further added that he intentionally avoided releasing a trailer of Coolie to keep details under wraps.
Coolie was headlined by Rajinikanth along with Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan, Rachitha Ram and Pooja Hegde. The music was composed by acclaimed music director Anirudh. It was produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. According to reports, it was made on a budget of Rs 350-400 crore. Talking of its box office run, the film grossed Rs 507.75 crore worldwide.
