Rajinikanth Coolie hits theaters this Independence Week with a ₹400 crore budget, making it his most expensive film yet. Find out why it’s creating massive buzz across India!
Rajinikanth is making a comeback, and this time he is making a big-screen comeback. Coolie is set to come out in theaters on August 14, 2025, just a couple of days before India celebrates its 78th Independence Day. The hype is real, but this is where it gets interesting – Coolie is touted to be Rajinikanth’s most expensive movie ever and possibly one of the most expensive Indian films of all time.
With an insane budget of ₹350 – ₹400 crore, an all-star cast, amazing action scenes, and the talents of the director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie is more than a film; it is a full-blown extravaganza.
Rajinikanth: The ₹260 Crore Star
When it comes to star power, Rajinikanth is in a league of his own. But there are almost no words for the reported ₹260 –₹280 crore fee he has asked in not just fees as he is the ₹260 crore star, but just sheer star power by the Thalaiva. His fee not only makes him India’s highest-paid actor but potentially one of the highest-paid actors in the world for a single film.
What is he worth it?
Bollywood Khiladi: Films like Jailer, Petta, and Kabali have shown that Rajinikanth does not just act; he is a bona-fide box office magnet.
Pan-India Actor: He is worshipped in the South, respected in Bollywood, and loved overseas.
Legacy: At 74, he is still making records and trending with mass entertainers.
Lokesh Kanagaraj: The ₹50 Crore Visionary
With two successful films already released – Leo and Kaithi – Lokesh Kanagaraj is the most sought-after director in South Indian cinema at the moment. For Coolie, he will receive around ₹50 crores, the money reserved for A-list actors.
So what makes him so expensive?
His Record – Lokesh has never made a flop in his life. His dark and gritty, stylized action-thrillers have become reference points within the genre.
His Fan Base – He has a directorial fan base that rivals that of the biggest actors, to the point that he is like a brand himself.
His Vision – The rumor is that he mixes gritty action with emotive depth, something only Lokesh can do with mastery.
The Star-Studded Cast: A Multi-Crore Ensemble
Coolie is not just relying on Rajinikanth; it has an all-star cast, which includes:
Nagarjuna Akkineni – rumored to be charging around ₹24 crores.
Aamir Khan – returning to South Indian cinema after a long layoff.
Shruti Haasan – doing a meaty role with both emotion and action.
Sathyaraj – the old veteran with a lot of weight.
This cast does not come cheaply, and it adds quite a bit to the production budget. But that certainly broadens the target audience of the film, not just pan-India but across generations.
Where Will the ₹400 Crore Go? The Breakdown.
Here is a full breakdown of where all that money, ₹400 crore or so, is going to go:
Talent Fees
Category Cost
Rajinikanth ₹260 – ₹280 crore
Lokesh Kanagaraj ₹50 crore
Supporting Cast ₹40 – ₹50 crore combined
Subtotal ₹350+ crore
Production Costs
Set design and on-location shoots — grand and extravagant sets, replicated and assembled in Chennai and Hyderabad, and potential international scheduled shoots as rumored by a third-party group/media.
Visual Effects & Computer Generated Imagery — with action sequences on par or close enough to an action film like K.G.F. and Baahubali, expect a heavy usage and dependency on special visual effects.
Crew Salaries: The production crew will no doubt be comprised of experienced top-level technicians, cinematographers, manufactured vehicles, or action directors, and crew.
Music Scoring, whilst Still a Rumor – Anirudh Ravichander is rumored to be the musical score and soundtrack composer.
Marketing and Promoting
All-India and international promotion.
Big initial pre-release events.
Promotion through social media and advertising in digital and print.
Some negotiations of the digital and satellite rights are also already in progress.
What’s Special about Coolie?
1. A Combination of Social Commentary, Mass Appeal, and Action
Despite being mass entertainment, we expect Coolie to have a social commentary on a depth of issues such as the dignity of labor, economic inequality, and access to justice.
2. A Relaunched Classic Title
We are all familiar with the word Coolie from the 1983 Amitabh Bachchan movie title. This will not be a remake, but a bold, all-new reimagined release by way of modern-day adaptation.
3. First-Time Movie Collaborations
This is the first time that Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj will be working together.
A Timed Release for Strategy
Coolie, releasing August 14, 2025, is strategically positioned to benefit from:
Holiday-weekend box office
Nationalist sentiments
Massive footfall from every language
Films scheduled around national holidays tend to gross record numbers, just like Gadar 2 and RRR, and Coolie is after those records too.
Industry speculation: Will Coolie go for the record?
Industry chatter has begun, and insiders speculate Coolie will:
Break the opening day records in South India.
Surpass 1000 crores globally, depending on reviews and reception.
Set a new benchmark for actor remuneration ROI.
Will Coolie be a game-changer?
If everything is as promised, the hope and excitement, talent and production value transfer to the screen, Coolie might be the movie event of 2025. It’s bigger than that; it is a cultural event. And more importantly, with Rajinikanth at the helm, and the direction of Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie, could be a shift in what we define as blockbuster filmmaking in India.
FAQs
1. When is Coolie coming to theatres?
Coolie is set to debut in theaters on August 14, 2025, right before Independence Day in India.
2. Is Coolie (2025) a remake of Coolie (1983)?
No, while it shares a name, Coolie (2025) tells an original story based in the modern day and is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
3. Who stars in Coolie?
The film stars Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Aamir Khan, Shruti Haasan, and Sathyaraj.
4. Why is this film so expensive?
The film’s high cost stems from Rajinikanth’s ₹260–280 crore fee, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ₹50 crore directing fee, high-level production, and numerous high-quality stars’ salaries.
5. Who is composing the music for Coolie?
While not confirmed, it is reported that Anirudh Ravichander is the composer.
6. Is Coolie being released in multiple languages?
Yes. It is planned to be released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and perhaps Kannada, making it an actual pan-Indian release.