Nagarjuna reveals Lokesh Kanagaraj saved producers ₹5 crore while making Coolie: ‘Never worked with someone so clear’

At the pre-release event for Coolie in Hyderabad, Nagarjuna was all praise for director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Here's what he said.

Actor Nagarjuna will soon star in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie as the main antagonist named Simon. Talking about the director and his filmmaking style at a pre-release event held in Hyderabad, the actor was all praise, revealing how, unlike most filmmakers, Lokesh stayed under budget for Coolie.

Nagarjuna plays the antagonist named Simon in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie.

Nagarjuna on Lokesh Kanagaraj

At the event, Nagarjuna revealed that Lokesh completed Coolie under budget and even saved the producers, Sun Pictures, ₹5 crore. He said, “On the last schedule, when we shot in Bangkok, he (Lokesh) said, Sun Pictures gave me so much budget; we still have ₹5 crore left. We finished shooting for the film. So, that is fantastic for such a big film. The producers wouldn’t have questioned him had he spent ₹15 crore more.”

Nagarjuna also added that Lokesh was unlike any director he had worked with in his long career. “I have worked with many directors before, but I’ve not worked with someone who’s so clear in his head. He works with a six-camera setup, so most of the scenes are done in one take. I played a negative role, but the experience was the most positive. I want to work with him again and again,” gushed the actor-producer.

About Coolie

Lokesh’s Coolie stars Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan and Sathyaraj. Aamir Khan, Rachita Ram, Reba Monica John, Junior MGR, Kanna Ravi, Monisha Blessy and Kaali Venkat play key roles. It is produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. Coolie will be released in theatres on 14 August and will clash with Ayan Mukerji’s Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR-starrer War 2.

After the recently-released trailer made fans wonder if Coolie was a Sci-Fi or time travel film, Lokesh said, “I used to read all those things, but it actually surprises me as well. Just now I was discussing it with Sathyaraj sir that everybody says it's a sci-fi film and it's a time-travel film… I am so excited to see people, who are going to be surprised when they actually see what the film is all about.”