There are GAPS in this Intelligent Story - Coolie Movie Review

Lokesh Kanagaraj's most awaited film for India's Biggest Superstar Rajinikanth, Coolie, opened to sombre reviews. While many ardent fans hail the film, many movie-goers are seen confused while exiting the theatre.

Rajini as Deva in Coolie

The movie opens with Deva, played by Rajinikanth, in his mansion. A single man, living with his friends from another era.

His world cracks when he hears that his long lost best friend, Rajashekhar, played by Sathyaraj, mysteriously passes away. The case is closed labelling the cause of cardiac arrest and the story kickstarts from there.

As the story unravels, Deva builds a bond with Rajashekhar's daughter, Preethi, played by Shruthi Hassan. He grows to become a father figure in her life and makes it his life's mission to protect his best friend's daughter at all costs. Shruti Hassan plays her character as a protective elder daughter with conviction and sincerity.

Though the bond between Deva and Preethi was comforting to watch, we kept wondering who the "real" Deva was. An answer that was kept hidden until the very end, which costed the film dearly.

Shruti Hassan as Preethi

His past life comes in a spurt before intermission which quenches the fire of hungry Rajini fans who wanted more. Post the intermission, the lull left us confused as the audience were lost in the fast paced narrative involving Deva and Dhayalan, Simon's henchman, played by Shobhin.

Shobhin lived his role as Dhayalan, an undercover cop gone rogue. He shoulders the second half with little help from this multi-starrer cast. His dialogue delivery and the quick shift of scenes fell flat on an audience who were struggling to keep up. We were left floating in a sea of characters throwing punches, waiting to be rescued by a grand revelation of Deva's story. Sadly, it came too late.

Shobhin as Dhayalan

Shobhin plays a pivotal role in this story as his character sketch had the darkest layers in the overall scheme of things. Simon, played by Nagarjuna, becomes a textbook baddie in white, suits oozing style and swag. The fans were left wanting more only to be disappointed as Simon was just a handsome tease through and through.

The intermission scene revealed a de-aged Rajini and Sathyaraj engaged in an argument followed by one of the twists of the film, that throws Rajini in a soup. However, the cinematic expectation of Rajini keeping his cool in the interval block, despite turmoil, sparked the confusion in the audience as post intermission Rajini becomes a lost Yes-Man for a good 20-minute sequence.

We see Upendra in a fiery screen presence for a few brief moments. Reserved as Rajini's muscle, he stole the show entirely in his limited screen time.

Coolie Stills

We were forced to wonder if Lokesh has run out of his magic beans as he repeated the iconic elements of Vikram like an Agent Tina rip-off, a song from the 80s' Tamil Music as a BMG for a fight sequence and the Crown Jewelled Antagonist's introduction saved for the end.

Though the star cast boasted the finest actors across India, including Aamir Khan, they failed to put on a memorable show.

The number of narratives running parallel, starting from Deva's past, Simon's illegal business, Dhayalan's story, and the true relationship between Shruthi Hassan and her father and the Grand Finale of Simon and Deva's showdown simply became an artwork with too many wild strokes.

Simon as Nagarjuna

Rajini shows his acting prowess in multiple occasions with tear stung eyes at the loss of his friend and a life he was forced to let go. Lokesh delivered a character sketch, befitting a star like Rajini. However, keeping the audience in the dark for long, is a dangerous game.

Lokesh Kanagaraj, known for his razor-sharp narrative, fell short in articulating his vision in screenplay as his "intelligent" story failed to leave a mark.