Aamir Khan made his Tamil debut with Coolie, appearing in a cameo towards the end of the film. The movie reunited him with Tamil superstar Rajinikanth after nearly three decades, their last outing being Aatank Hi Aatank (1995). Aamir played Dahaa, the powerful leader of a crime syndicate headed by Simon, the main antagonist portrayed by Telugu superstar Nagarjuna. ‘Coolie’ Movie Review: Anirudh, Not Rajinikanth, Is Real Lifeline in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Weakest Film to Date!

The makers built anticipation around Aamir’s role by unveiling his look in posters and the trailer. He even appeared in his Dahaa avatar at the Coolie Unleashed event, expressing excitement for the film. Fans drew comparisons with Suriya’s powerful Rolex cameo in Vikram, expecting something similar.

When Coolie released on August 14, Aamir’s cameo left audiences divided. Many felt the role was either unnecessary to the plot or unworthy of an actor of his stature. Even his performance as the dreaded don failed to impress some viewers.

Aamir Khan Did 'Coolie' To Light Rajinikanth's Cigarette?

Amid this, a quote began circulating online, allegedly from Aamir Khan, claiming he did the role solely for Rajinikanth. The viral post reads, "Yes, my role was just to light Superstar Rajinikanth’s cigarette… and honestly, I had no problem doing it. I’m a die-hard Rajini fan! For me, sharing screen space with him itself is a huge pride & memory for life."

The Viral Post With Aamir Khan's Alleged Quote

The "lighting Rajinikanth’s cigarette" reference points to a scene where Dahaa gives Rajinikanth’s character Deva his pipe to light a beedi. Another sequence shows Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan and Upendra sharing the screen while smoking beedis. Coolie’ Unexplained: From Aamir Khan’s Cameo to ‘Monica’ Song, 15 Burning Questions We Still Have About Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Most Divisive Film.

A Leaked Still From Coolie

Fact Check: No Evidence for the Quote

However, there is no credible source confirming that Aamir Khan ever made this statement. Since Coolie’s release, he has not given any interviews discussing the film or his cameo.

What Aamir Khan Actually Said About Doing 'Coolie'

Before the release, Aamir consistently stated in interviews and at Coolie promotional events that he agreed to the cameo purely for Rajinikanth. In an interview with Zoom, he said, "I really enjoyed doing it. I am a big fan of Rajini sir… huge fan. I have a lot of love and respect for Rajini sir. So, I did not even hear the script. When Lokesh told me that it is a Rajini sir’s movie and that he wanted me to do a cameo, I said, ‘Done. I am doing it. Whatever it is, I am doing it.’"

Nowhere has he mentioned that he took on the role just to light Rajinikanth’s cigarette.

Conclusion

The viral quote attributed to Aamir Khan is fake. While he did admit to doing the cameo only for Rajinikanth, he never said it was just to light the superstar’s cigarette.

Meanwhile, Coolie opened strongly at the box office. Despite facing competition from Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2, it maintained a lead and grossed over INR 350 crore globally in its opening weekend. However, mixed reviews affected its momentum, with collections dropping significantly on its first Monday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2025 09:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).