Coolie budget revealed; Rajinikanth charges Rs 150 crore; Lokesh Kanagaraj earns record fee: report

One of the most anticipated Indian movies of 2025, director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, starring “Superstar” Rajinikanth in the lead role, is currently in its post-production stage. The film is gearing up for release on August 14. Expectations for Coolie are already sky high, thanks to its star-studded ensemble that includes Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, and Shruti Haasan, as well as rumours that Bollywood icon Aamir Khan will make a cameo appearance. What adds to the hype is that this marks the first time Rajinikanth is entering a cinematic world created by Lokesh Kanagaraj, known for helming blockbusters such as Kaithi (2019), Master (2021), Vikram (2022) and Leo (2023).

While the movie’s team has been careful not to reveal too many details about its plot to the media, with even its recently released teaser offering only vague glimpses, a new report has shed light on just how ambitious Coolie is expected to be. According to Pinkvilla, the movie is being mounted on a massive budget of Rs 350 crore, which includes the remuneration for Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj.

Watch Coolie teaser here:

While Rajinikanth has charged a whopping Rs 150 crore for the movie, Lokesh has been paid Rs 50 crore, likely a record for a director. The remaining Rs 150 crore has been allocated to production costs and the salaries of other actors and technicians. According to the publication, this figure does not include promotional expenses, for which an additional Rs 25 crore has been earmarked.

Although the budget is big, Pinkvilla quoted a source associated with the movie’s production as saying that Coolie has already managed to sell several of its rights, easing the pressure to recoup the entire amount through its theatrical run. While its OTT rights have been sold for Rs 130 crore, Coolie, bankrolled by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures, has earned Rs 90 crore from satellite deal and Rs 20 crore from music rights.