Nagarjuna joins Rajnikanth's Coolie cast, director Lokesh Kanagaraj says ‘Welcome on board’

Actor Nagarjuna had exciting news for his fans as he celebrated his birthday on Thursday, August 29. The team behind the highly anticipated Tamil film Coolie officially welcomed him on board. The film, headlined by superstar Rajinikanth, is one of the most eagerly awaited releases of 2025, and Nagarjuna’s addition has only heightened the excitement.

Rumors had been swirling that Nagarjuna might not be part of the project, with some reports even suggesting that Kannada actor Upendra was being considered after the Telugu star allegedly turned down the role. However, these rumors have been put to rest with the official announcement.

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj shared the first look of Nagarjuna’s character on Thursday, unveiling a stylish poster that introduced him as 'Simon.' In the poster, Nagarjuna exudes charisma, dressed in a black shirt and flaunting a luxury wristwatch. Lokesh took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his excitement, posting, "Kicked to have King @iamnagarjuna sir joining the cast of #Coolie as #Simon. Welcome on board and wishing you a very happy birthday sir."

Kicked to have King @iamnagarjuna sir joining the cast of #Coolie as #Simon
Welcome on board and wishing you a very happy birthday sir@rajinikanth sir @anirudhofficial @anbariv @girishganges @philoedit @Dir_Chandhru @sunpictures @PraveenRaja_Off pic.twitter.com/Vv7wqA25VA Lokesh Kanagaraj (@Dir_Lokesh) August 29, 2024

Nagarjuna responded to the warm welcome, expressing his enthusiasm to work with Lokesh Kanagaraj. He wrote on X, "Thank uuuu Loki, I hv been wanting to work with you since Kaithi !!! Absolutely excited for our journey ahead @Dir_Lokesh Looking forward to sharing screen space with the Thalaivar!!"

Thank uuuu Loki, I hv been wanting to work with you since kaithi !!!Absolutely excited for our journey ahead @Dir_Lokesh Looking forward to be sharing screenspace with the Thalaivar!!@rajinikanth garu @anirudhofficial @anbariv @girishganges @philoedit @sunpictures https://t.co/qYrTs0MeCQ Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) August 29, 2024

In addition to Nagarjuna, Coolie boasts an impressive cast, including Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, and Mahendran in key roles. There are also strong rumors that Bollywood actor Aamir Khan might make a cameo appearance in the film, reuniting with Rajinikanth 30 years after their last collaboration, Aatank Hi Aatank, which also featured Juhi Chawla. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding Aamir's involvement.

ALSO READ: "I firmly believe that KANGUVA, PUSHPA2, and COOLIE will also achieve this feat and bring pride to Indian cinema, just as Kalki has done,” says director Shankar

The pan-India Tamil film is being produced on a grand scale, with a significant budget. While the exact release date has not yet been revealed, Coolie is expected to hit theaters in the latter half of 2025.

ALSO READ: Aamir Khan and Rajinikanth are set for an epic reunion after 30 years for Coolie

Interestingly, many fans believed Coolie would be part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). However, Lokesh Kanagaraj clarified in an interview that Coolie is a stand-alone film and not connected to the LCU, which includes films like Leo, Kaithi 2, Vikram 2, and an upcoming spin-off yet to be announced.