Telugu superstar Nagarjuna is stepping into the shoes of a powerful villain in Rajinikanth’s upcoming film ‘Coolie’, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The actor recently opened up about his experience in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, where he described his role as “liberating” and a departure from the kind of characters he usually portrays.
Recalling how he came on board, Nagarjuna shared that his first meeting with director Lokesh Kanagaraj was refreshingly candid. “I don’t know what made Lokesh come to me, but the first question he asked was, ‘Do you mind playing an antagonist?’ He told me that if I wasn’t open to it, we’d just have tea and he’d leave. I told him I wasn’t against the idea, but I needed to hear the script first,” Nagarjuna said.
As the conversations progressed, Nagarjuna became deeply intrigued by the character of Simon, the primary antagonist. In fact, he met Lokesh nearly half a dozen times just to fully understand and shape his character. “I liked it so much that I made him come back six to seven times to figure out my role! But now, if anyone asked me how my role in ‘Coolie’ was, I’d answer it in a word: liberating,” he shared.
Explaining why this role felt so different, Nagarjuna compared it to his character Deepak in the upcoming film Kuberaa, where he had to maintain a particular demeanor at all times. “Even the way Deepak drinks coffee has to be proper,” he said. “‘Coolie’ was the exact opposite—there were no restrictions. Everything flew out the window.”
He also highlighted how Lokesh encouraged him to push boundaries in his portrayal of Simon. “I asked him a couple of times if he was sure about how he wanted me to behave, and if people really acted this evil, and Lokesh would say, ‘Yes sir, people are very evil!’” Nagarjuna laughed. He also noted that the team found him to be a “charming villain,” crediting Lokesh for presenting him in a new light.
‘Coolie’ features a powerful ensemble cast including Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film also features a musical score composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
‘Coolie’ is slated for theatrical release on August 14, 2025, and is expected to be one of the biggest cinematic events of the year.
