How Soubin Shahir became Coolie's breakout star: Stole the show from Rajinikanth, outdanced Pooja Hegde in Monica song

Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir is being hailed as the breakout star in Rajinikanth's Coolie, with fans and critics both praising him.

Rajinikanth, one of the biggest screen icons of all time, is the film's hero. Nagarjuna, one of the most popular superstars in Telugu cinema, is the villain. Lokesh Kanagaraj and Anirudh Ravinchander - both in their peak - have also contributed immensely. Yet, the breakout star of Coolie's success is an unassuming Malayali actor, who outshone, outacted, and even outdanced everyone in the film. Soubin Shahir is earning heavy praise for his performance in the film, with most calling him the film's breakout star.

Soubin Shahir (R) with Rajinikanth and Shruti Haasan in Coolie.

Who is Soubin Shahir?

To anyone familiar with Malayalam cinema, Soubin is not a new name or face. The actor-filmmaker was somewhat of a late bloomer, beginning as an assistant director to Fazil, Siddique, Rafi-Mecartin, P. Sukumar, Santhosh Sivan, Rajeev Ravi, and Amal Neerad in the 2000s. It wasn't until he was 30 that Soubin made his full-fledged acting debut with Annayum Rasoolum. Two years later, he had his breakthrough in Malayalam cinema with Premam. His first lead role in Sudani from Nigeria, which won him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor, came when he was 34. In 2017, he made his directorial debut with Parava.

Before Coolie, Soubin was best known for his acclaimed performance in Manjummel Boys.

Soubin earned mainstream popularity outside Kerala with his starring roles in Kumbalangi Nights and Manjummel Boys. The latter became the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever. His performance was regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by Film Companion. With Manjummel Boys, he also turned producer for the first time. Coolie marked his first full-length role appearance in Tamil cinema. He had done a cameo in the 2017 film, Solo. But it was Coolie that allowed him to reach out to pan-India audiences in a big way.

Soubin Shahir's role in Coolie

Coolie is the story of Rajinikanth's Deva, a retired coolie who investigates his friend's death and gets embroiled in the criminal activities of a gangster named Simon (Nagarjuna). Soubin plays Dayal, a henchman of Simon and an unpredictable character whose loyalties lie only with himself. The character has become a fan favourite, with Soubin winning praise for his performance as well. On social media, he is being called the 'scene-stealer', no mean feat in a Rajinikanth film that also has Nagarjuna, Upendra, and Aamir Khan.

"#SoubinShahir the Show Stealer in #Coolie," read a tweet with a collage of his scenes from the film. Another fan wrote, "Bro #SoubinShahir deserves National award in a supporting actor role for his stellar performance."

Soubin Shahir's viral dance to Monica

But if he wasn't content with winning acclaim for his acting, Soubin Shahir stole the show with his dance moves as well. Coolie features a dance number called Monica, which sees Pooja Hegde in a special appearance as the titular siren. The song, composed by Anirudh, features electric choreography from Sandy Master. But many noted that despite Pooja's grace and charm, Soubin was the star of the music video. One viewer shared a clip of the song and tweeted, "Pooja Hegde was highly praised for dominating every dance number even if paired with 'SUPERSTARS' until the real showman showed up. The Name is Soubin Shahir." Another tweet read, “41-year-old boy #SoubinShahir stole the whole song.”

What's next for Soubin Shahir

Soubin Shahir has not confirmed his next project as of yet. There have been reports that he is in talks to play the antagonist in Ajith Kumar's next. If true, that would be a level up for the talented actor, and not a moment too soon.