‘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

Coolie has left many Tamil fans with mixed feelings. As a Rajinikanth film, audiences were satisfied with how the superstar was presented. But as a Lokesh Kanagaraj film, they were left mighty disappointed. The movie has been accused of being his weakest outing to date, thanks to a script riddled with plot holes, a runtime that tests your patience, and a cast full of big names whose characters fail to live up to their potential. ‘Coolie’ Movie Review: Anirudh, Not Rajinikanth, Is Real Lifeline in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Weakest Film to Date!

Rajinikanth plays Deva, a lodge owner in Chennai who used to be a coolie some 30 years ago. Sathyaraj plays his friend and brother-in-law, Rajashekhar, a scientist Deva hasn’t seen in decades, whose suspicious death brings Deva to Visakhapatnam. Shruti Haasan appears as Rajashekhar’s eldest daughter.

Nagarjuna plays Simon, a dreaded smuggler who oversees both watch smuggling and illegal organ transplant operations in Visakhapatnam, with Soubin Shahir as his equally ruthless right-hand man Dayal. Upendra and Aamir Khan show up in cameos - Upendra as Kaleesha, a former coolie now staying at Deva’s lodge, and Aamir as Dahaa, leader of the international crime syndicate Simon is part of.

Watch the Trailer of 'Coolie':

While these characters sound intriguing on paper, Coolie sadly does little to justify their existence. The film crams in too many subplots and twists, none of which are supported by sharp writing, leaving it cluttered, stretched, and filled with gaping plot holes.

Here are 15 questions that kept bothering us long after the credits rolled. (Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD)

1. What Made Nagarjuna Agree to Play the Villain in 'Coolie'?

In Lokesh’s interviews and even during the Coolie Unleashed event, it was said that it took seven to eight narrations for Nagarjuna to agree to the villain role. But why? Apart from a couple of stylish moments, the role hardly gave him a chance to create an imposing figure against Rajinikanth.

2. What Made Aamir Khan Agree to Cameo in 'Coolie'?

Aamir revealed he agreed to do Coolie without even hearing the script. He should have. Unless the script Lokesh narrated to him for their upcoming superhero film was so mind-blowing that he agreed on goodwill, his presence here feels entirely wasted.

3. Why Did Rajashekhar Create an Electric Chair for Animals?

The film introduces an odd macguffin - an electric chair Rajashekhar designed to instantly reduce bodies to ashes. His intention? To dispose of stray animal carcasses. But why make it a chair? Why not a box or stretcher? Did he not consider that a chair would immediately be viewed as an execution device, even by the government?

4. Why Was Preethi So Angry With Deva?

Preethi’s hostility towards Deva is baffling. She angrily tells him to leave her house during her father’s funeral and even throws out his wreath. Her reasoning? That Deva hadn’t visited her father in years. Harsh, considering he left her aunt three decades ago. The exaggerated anger felt more like a plot convenience than real emotion.

5. Who Exactly Is Monica?

Dayal, en route to kill a traitor, suddenly stops when he spots Monica, breaks into dance with her, and forgets his mission. Who is she that he instantly recognises? Why is her engagement party at a dock? And why does she abandon her fiancé to dance with sleazy strangers?

6. Why Does Deva Call Arjun an Innocent Soul?

Deva defends Simon’s son Arjun, calling him innocent and trying to reunite him with his lover. But Arjun was feeding inside information to Simon and Dayal, helping their smuggling business. He even scolded Dayal about disposing of bodies. Innocent? Hardly. More like foolish.

7. Why Did Simon Want Dayal Buried Near the Police Station?

After smashing Dayal’s head with a hammer, Simon orders Deva to bury him in a cemetery near police HQ to "send a message." But how does burying a body - ensuring no one will ever find it - serve as a message?

8. Why Does Dayal Not Die or Suffer Brain Damage?

Preethi offers a vague explanation for Dayal’s survival, but even if we accept it, it’s hard to believe his brain functions perfectly after the vicious hammering Simon inflicted on his head. Beyond a couple of minor wounds, Dayal shows no lasting damage - a stretch, to say the least.

9. Why Would Dayal Show Deva All His Hideouts?

Dayal knows Deva is cunning. While holding Preethi gave him leverage, why would he recklessly reveal all his hideouts—along with his stolen wealth—to his enemy? Moreover, how did Deva manage to loot these hideouts without Dayal’s men noticing?

10. Why Does Kaleesha Look Almost Exactly the Same 30 Years Later?

Upendra’s cameo was electrifying, especially during the Deva Mansion fight scene. The flashback reveals he was a coolie who worked with Deva. Yet, while Rajinikanth and Sathyaraj were convincingly de-aged, Upendra looked nearly unchanged. Did the de-aging budget run out?

11. Why Does Preethi Not Realise Kalyani is Dayal’s Wife?

Deva frees Preethi by showing Dayal a video of his captured wife, Kalyani. So when Kalyani later meets Preethi at the train station and claims Deva sent her, why doesn’t Preethi connect the dots?

12. How Is Kalyani on the Same Train as Preethi and Dayal?

While Dayal tracking Preethi to Nellore is somewhat believable, Kalyani coincidentally being on the same train when Dayal nearly kills Preethi stretches credulity. Also, why would Preethi call a landline number - once mentioned by her dead father - precisely when Dayal attacks? The call served no purpose; she only survived because Deva’s man intervened. Rajinikanth’s ‘Coolie’, Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vikram, Vijay’s ’Leo’ – Ranking All Lokesh Kanagaraj Movies From Worst to Best.

13. How Did Kalyani Learn to Operate Rajashekhar’s Chair?

The chair’s mechanism was supposedly known only to Rajashekhar, Preethi, and later Deva - requiring a complex procedure, including injecting the corpse. So how did Kalyani master it well enough to kill Deva’s aide?

14. How Did Dahaa Recognise Deva but Not Simon?

Dahaa recognises Deva just before trying to kill him, despite having seen him only once as a teenager. Yet Simon - who was also present in that flashback - fails to identify Deva, even though he has every reason to: Deva killed his father.

15. How Did Simon and Dahaa Never Find Deva?

Despite their resources and investigations, neither Simon nor Dahaa uncovered Deva’s identity or whereabouts. This is baffling, considering Deva wasn’t exactly hiding - he even owned a prominent Chennai building named after him.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2025 07:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).