Nagarjuna Rules As Ruthless Villain in Historic Coolie Blockbuster

When a superstar from the South shares screen space with another living legend, fireworks are bound to happen. That’s exactly what the audience is witnessing with Coolie, where Akkineni Nagarjuna locks horns with Superstar Rajinikanth. The film has taken the box office by storm and Nagarjuna himself admits that this response was destined.

In Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Nagarjuna plays Simon, a menacing villain with a chilling aura. His sharp eyes, brutal screen presence, and stylish delivery have made audiences root for his negative character as much as they cheer for Rajinikanth. Critics across languages have called his performance a career-defining antagonist role. According to Nagarjuna, “When two journeys like ours meet, the outcome is always special.”

The numbers tell the rest of the story. Coolie stormed into theatres with a historic day-one collection of over ₹151 crore worldwide, making it the biggest opener for a Tamil film. What stands out is the Telugu version’s strong pull, earning ₹17 crore gross on day one in Andhra and Telangana alone. Even in North America, Telugu audiences showed up in full swing, adding $1.3 million to the total, more than double what similar big-ticket Telugu versions have managed before.

For Nagarjuna, this success comes right after Kuberaa, marking another high in his ongoing journey. With Coolie breaking records and fans celebrating his villainous avatar, the veteran actor is once again proving that reinvention is his biggest strength. And as his cult classic Siva gets ready for a grand re-release in 4K and Dolby Atmos, Nagarjuna seems all set to keep reminding audiences that his legacy is still in motion.