Telugu superstar Nagarjuna has officially confirmed that he will be playing the main antagonist opposite Rajinikanth in director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s much-anticipated film Coolie. In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Nagarjuna opened up about his decision to embrace a negative role and why the film turned out to be a liberating experience for him.
Recalling his first meeting with Lokesh, Nagarjuna said the director was upfront about wanting him as the villain. “He asked me, ‘Do you mind playing an antagonist?’ and said if I wasn’t open to it, we’d just chat over tea and he’d leave. I told him I wasn’t against it, but I had to hear the script first,” Nagarjuna shared.
Once Lokesh narrated the full story, Nagarjuna was immediately drawn in. “I was hooked,” he admitted. “I liked it so much that I made him come back six to seven times to discuss my role further.”
The actor described playing the antagonist as a refreshing change from his usual roles. “If anyone asks me about my character in Coolie, I’d say it in one word — liberating. Unlike characters like Deepak in Kuberaa, where I have to maintain a certain decorum even while drinking coffee, Coolie gave me complete freedom. All those rules went out the window.”
He went on to say that Lokesh Kanagaraj allowed him to explore the darker, more intense shades of the character. “I kept asking him if he was sure I should behave in certain ways, and he’d say, ‘Yes sir, people are very evil!’” Nagarjuna recalled with a laugh. “Everyone said I looked like a charming villain — and Lokesh presented me that way.”
Coolie brings together a powerful ensemble cast, including Upendra Rao, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir. The film’s music is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, adding another layer of excitement to the project.
With Nagarjuna stepping into the shoes of a villain for the first time opposite Rajinikanth, Coolie promises to be a cinematic showdown worth watching.
