Coolie First Review: Rajinikanth Shines, Fans Declare It His Best Since Kabali

Coolie Early Reviews: Fans Call Rajinikanth’s Best Since Kabali.

After sharing the screen with Amitabh Bachchan in Vettaiyan last year, Rajinikanth is set to return to theatres with Coolie on August 14. A private screening on Thursday (August 8) has already sparked a wave of early reactions — and fans are calling it Thalaivar’s finest performance since Kabali (2016).

One X user praised the superstar’s act as “Best performance loading after Kabali,” while hailing Nagarjuna as the “backbone” of the film. Aamir Khan’s extended cameo, they added, “turned the entire theatre into a stadium.” Another fan labelled Coolie a “terrific” entertainer, applauding the entire cast — including Shruti Haasan, Pooja Upendra, and Soubin Shahir — for delivering top-notch performances.

Advance Booking Frenzy
With release day just around the corner, advance bookings have opened to overwhelming demand. The high-octane actioner, which will clash at the box office with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2, is already pulling in huge pre-release numbers.

In Kerala and Karnataka, select theatres will host special 6 am shows on August 14, while Tamil Nadu screenings will start at 9 am due to state regulations introduced after a tragic incident during Thunivu’s first-day-first-show last year. The film has been granted an ‘A’ certificate by the Censor Board, limiting entry to adults.

Overseas, the buzz is just as strong. In the UK, Coolie will premiere at 12:30 am BST (5 am IST), and Dubai theatres are listing 9:30 am IST screenings. Early sales have already crossed $2 million, with $1.3 million from North America alone — more than 50,000 tickets sold in that market.

Boasting an ensemble cast of Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, and more, Coolie is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest releases, both in India and abroad.