Superstar Rajinikanth lauded actor Nagarjuna for taking on the antagonist’s role in the upcoming film Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. In a special video message during the pre-release event held in Hyderabad, Rajinikanth said Nagarjuna is not someone who acts for money and chose the villainous role to explore different character shades.
The veteran actor revealed that when he first heard the script, he wanted to play the stylish character of Simon himself. “We were looking for someone to take up Simon’s role. Lokesh mentioned that they had multiple discussions with an actor but it didn’t work out. When I learned it was Nagarjuna and later heard he had accepted, I was very happy. He performed brilliantly,” Rajinikanth said.
Marking 50 years in cinema, Rajinikanth expressed excitement about Coolie’s release on August 14. He compared Lokesh Kanagaraj’s success in Tamil cinema to that of Rajamouli in Telugu. The film features a star-studded cast including Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Aamir Khan, with Rajinikanth and Sathyaraj reuniting after decades. Rajinikanth also recalled working with Nagarjuna 33 years ago, humorously noting that while Nagarjuna looks unchanged, he himself has lost some hair. Nagarjuna credited his fitness to regular exercise, swimming, a balanced diet, and genetics.