Nagarjuna on Playing Villain in Coolie: “Liberating to Just Say ‘Shut Up!'”

June 17, 2025: Fans are buzzing with anticipation for Lokesh Kanagaraj’s upcoming action thriller Coolie, which stars Rajinikanth in his 171st lead role. Adding to the excitement, veteran actor Nagarjuna has confirmed that he will portray the film’s antagonist—a role he describes as “liberating.”

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Nagarjuna opened up about how Lokesh Kanagaraj approached him with the idea of playing a villain. Recalling their first meeting, Nagarjuna said the filmmaker directly asked if he would be open to a negative role. Lokesh added that if Nagarjuna wasn’t comfortable, they could simply share a cup of tea and move on.

Also read: Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon Light Up the F1 Premiere with Playful Red Carpet Moments, See Pictures!

Nagarjuna, intrigued but cautious, asked to hear the script first. Once on board, he embraced the experience wholeheartedly. “I could ask someone to shut up and get out of my face… which I could never do earlier!” he said, laughing. “That said, everyone said I made for a very charming villain. Lokesh has presented me that way. I had such a liberating experience.”

The actor added that he had questioned Lokesh about the exaggerated nature of some villainous behavior, to which the director assured him, “Yes sir, people are very evil!”

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures, Coolie features a powerhouse ensemble including Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Junior MGR, Reba Monica John, Monisha Blessy, and Kaali Venkat.

Coolie is set for theatrical release on August 14, where it will go head-to-head at the box office with War 2, starring Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan and directed by Ayan Mukerji.