Telugu actor Nagarjuna will play Rajinikanth's villain in director Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie. In a recent interview, he recalled how the director narrated him the script 7=8 times before he came on board. He also calls the character too bad
Nagarjuna and Lokesh Kanagaraj
Sun Pictures’ Rajinikanth–Lokesh Kanagaraj mega pan-India action spectacle Coolie: The Powerhouse, is all set for a thunderous global release tomorrow, worldwide on August 14, 2025. While the film is garnering buzz for its massive pan-India starcast, the one thing that came out of the surprise is the addition of Nagarjuna, essaying the villain on-screen against Rajinikanth. However, the actor was not easily convinced to come on-board for the film.
Nagarjuna recalls how Lokesh Kanagaraj convinced him for Coolie
In one of the interviews, Nagarjuna said, when director Lokesh Kanagaraj first approached him, he came with humility and options, and asked, 'Do you mind playing an antagonist? If you don’t want to play one, we’ll just have a cup of tea, talk things over, and leave—no problem.”
Intrigued, Nagarjuna asked him to go ahead with the narration, and halfway through the script, Nagarjuna was completely hooked. The gripping storyline, the layered character, and the larger-than-life cinematic canvas Lokesh envisioned left him wanting more.
Anirudh on 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/QIhPKh8ZV2
— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) August 7, 2025
The role and the story pulled him in so strongly that Nagarjuna asked Lokesh to return six to seven times for further discussions. Each session deepened his excitement and conviction that this was a project worth stepping into—especially opposite a legend like Rajinikanth.
About Coolie
With Lokesh’s storytelling, Rajinikanth’s charisma, and Nagarjuna’s intense villainous turn, Coolie promises to deliver a clash of titans on the big screen. Coolie – The Powerhouse is fueling nationwide frenzy ahead of its release. Headlined by the legendary Superstar Rajinikanth, this ₹400 crore mega-production features a dream ensemble cast — Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Shruti Haasan — under the direction of mass cinema maestro Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Backed by Sun Pictures — also producing the much-awaited Jailer 2 and AA 22 X A6 — and helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj (of Vikram, Leo, Kaithi, Master fame), Coolie is poised to redefine Indian action cinema as we know it.
To note, Coolie is witnessing a clash with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2. Ahead of the release of War 2 & Coolie, Hrithik Roshan shares his best wishes for the legendary actor, calling Rajinikanth 'an inspiration and a standard.’
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