Sun Pictures’ Rajinikanth–Lokesh Kanagaraj mega pan-India action spectacle Coolie: The Powerhouse is all set for a thunderous global release in just three days, hitting cinemas worldwide on August 14, 2025. At the grand promotional event of the film, superstar Rajinikanth moved fans and the film’s team to silence as he shared a deeply personal and emotional memory from his younger days — one that felt straight out of a cinematic scene, yet was painfully real.
The superstar recalled his story as a young man and said, “My father once strictly ordered me to work as a coolie, lifting sacks. I said, ‘Okay.’ I loaded three sacks onto a handcart and set off. What was supposed to be a quick 500-meter trip turned into a 1 to 1.5 km haul because an accident had caused a traffic diversion.”
Continuing the story, the superstar said, ”Balancing those sacks was no easy task. The road was full of lorries, buses, and cars, and every bump or pothole threatened my load. At one point, I lost balance — a sack tumbled down. People yelled at me from all sides. Bus passengers shouted, random bystanders questioned, ‘Why are you bringing this on the road? Who gave you this handcart?’ I suppose I looked too skinny to be doing the job.I picked up the sack again, got scolded, and somehow pushed on. When I finally reached, my uncle told me, ‘Three sacks came — load them into the tempo.’ I said, ‘Okay,’ and did it. Then I asked for the money.”
He concluded the story, saying, “The man handed me ₹2 and said, ‘Keep this as a tip!’ I recognized the voice — it was Muniswamy, my college mate, the same guy I used to tease. He looked at me and said, ‘You acted so big, and now look at you!’ Leaning on those sacks, I cried. That was the first time in my life I cried.”
This memory, Rajinikanth revealed, is etched into his soul — a reminder of his humble beginnings, his struggles, and the dignity of hard work. As he now headlines Coolie, a high-octane action entertainer where he plays a character rooted in grit and resilience, the connection between reel and real becomes unmissable.
Coolie – The Powerhouse is fueling nationwide frenzy ahead of its release. Headlined by the legendary Superstar Rajinikanth, this Rs 400 crore mega-production features a dream ensemble cast — Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Shruti Haasan — under the direction of mass cinema maestro Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Backed by Sun Pictures — also producing the much-awaited Jailer 2 and AA 22 X A6 — and helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj (of Vikram, Leo, Kaithi, Master fame), Coolie is poised to redefine Indian action cinema as we know it.
