Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals CBFC’s 35 cuts on Coolie led to Rs 40-50 crore revenue loss

Rajinikanth in Coolie

• Coolie got an A certificate after CBFC suggested 35 cuts, limiting its audience.
• Lokesh Kanagaraj: A rating caused an estimated Rs 40-50 crore revenue loss.
• Coolie earned over Rs 500 crore globally despite controversy and star-studded cast.

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Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj has recently talked about his latest film Coolie, starring Rajinikanth. He also addressed the challenges he had with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

After the filmmakers requested reconsideration, the CBFC upheld its earlier recommendation of 35 cuts for the movie, finally certifying it as an A. Due to the limited audience's inability to view the movie as widely as planned, Lokesh said this move resulted in a significant loss of revenue.

According to Lokesh, the filmmakers were faced with a choice between releasing an edited version with a UA certificate or a full film with an A certificate as a result of the CBFC's recommendations.

During a recent media interaction, the filmmaker said, “I was okay with the nine muted words they asked, but not the 35 cuts. Do we release a complete film with an A certificate or an incomplete film with a UA certification was the question. We applied for re-censoring, but they once again recommended the same 35 cuts."

The director thought that Coolie's impact would have been much diminished by the desired modifications.

The filmmaker also revealed that the objective was to maintain the narrative as it was initially intended, even if that meant agreeing to a more stringent certificate and the ensuing financial consequences. They anticipated a better result upon re-censorship, but the board's decision remained the same.

Lokesh further disclosed that the film's portrayal of electric cremation was a major factor in the CBFC's decision to award it an A certificate.

He said, "The board stated that the film thematically falls under an A certificate due to the depiction of electric cremation."

In the end, the movie was released without the requested modifications and received an A rating, which limited its audience to adults. Lokesh claims that the film's financial performance was directly impacted by this restriction, with the director projecting a revenue loss of Rs 40–50 crore as a result of the smaller audience.

Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and Rachita Ram were among the stellar cast members of Coolie. Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde both made cameos in the movie. The movie was released on August 14 of last year and received mediocre reviews despite the controversy and low viewership.

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The movie went on to earn more than Rs 500 crore globally.

Allu Arjun will now be directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj in a brand-new, untitled film. Additionally, he revealed that after his project with Arjun is finished, the Kaithi sequel with Karthi will begin production.