Director Lokesh Kanagaraj Responds To Coolie Criticism, Vows to Do Better Next Time

Rajinikanth’s Coolie created huge excitement when it was initially announced, marking the megastar’s collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Fans turned up in large numbers when the film hit theatres on August 14, this year, filling cinema halls across the country.

While the film performed well at the box office, it did not receive strong reviews. Some moviegoers felt the story and screenplay could have been better, leading to mixed reactions despite the film’s success.

Lokesh Owns Up to the Criticism
In a recent media interaction, Lokesh Kanagaraj openly spoke about the criticism Coolie received. He took full responsibility for the parts of the film that did not work for some viewers and said he plans to improve in his next project.

Addressing

reporters, Lokesh said, “Coolie received 1000s of criticisms. I’ll try to rectify it in my next film.” His comments were seen as a direct and honest response to the feedback surrounding the movie.

Fans Still Turned Up for Rajinikanth
Lokesh also pointed out that despite the criticism, audiences came to theatres mainly to watch Rajinikanth on the big screen. He shared that the film’s box office numbers reflected the star’s strong pull.

As quoted by Pinkvilla, he added, “Even with those criticisms, people watched the film for Rajinikanth sir. The Producer told me the film collected Rs 500 crores,” and expressed gratitude for the support the film received.

This was not the first time Lokesh addressed the mixed response to Coolie. Earlier, during a conclave in Coimbatore, he spoke about how he approaches storytelling and audience expectations.
At the event, the director said he writes stories he truly believes in and feels it is a big win if they connect with viewers. At the same time, he accepted that not every film works the same way and added, “If it doesn’t, I’ll try harder next time.”

A Film Packed with Big Names
Coolie featured a large cast that included Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and Rachita Ram. Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde also appeared in special roles in the action thriller.

On the work front, Rajinikanth will next be seen in Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer 2. The sequel will feature stars like Shiva Rajkumar, Mohanlal, Vijay Sethupathi, Vidya Balan, Mithun Chakraborty, and others.