Upendra Addresses Fan Criticism Of His Small Role In Rajinikanth's Coolie, Says 'Scenes Were Developed Later'

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj assembled a pan-India cast for his action thriller Coolie. The Rajinikanth fronted multi-starrer also featured Nagarjuna, Upendra Rao, Soubin Shahir, Pooja Hegde, Aamir Khan and many more in pivotal roles in the ambitious project. However, upon release, the movie did not meet the sky high expectations of the fans, and despite grossing ₹500 crore worldwide, remains a flop.

Ever since Upendra's name was associated with Coolie, fans were excited to see him share the screen with Rajinikanth. When the movie released, many said that the cult Kannada actor and director was underutilised in the film and was wasted in an extended cameo like appearance alongside Rajinikanth. In Coolie, Upendra's character marks his entry close to the climax and there's not much screentime for him. At least not as much as fans expected.

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Responding to such criticisms, Upendra said that he agreed to feature in Coolie only because Rajinikanth was a part of the project. "I did it for just Rajini sir. It was not even dream come true for me. Not even in my dream I imagined this. I was not even a fan. I'm a big devotee for him. For his performance, his talent, his philosophy for everything. Thalaivar means I'm Thalaivar. Even for one shot I was ready. I just wanted to stand beside him and go. Later on, they developed it a little bit. Earlier on, there was just a fight scene."

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Coolie is now streaming on Prime Video, Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is busy with the shooting of Jailer 2. 

The much anticipated sequel is said to feature Shah Rukh Khan in a cameo role. Additionally, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar are said to be reprising their roles from the first installment. Nora Fatehi has a dance number in it and Tollywood star Nandamuri Balakrishna is also said have been roped in for the big budget multi-starrer. The makers are eyeing August 14 as its release date.