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‘That Was The First Time I Cried’: Rajinikanth Recalls Breaking Down While Working As A Coolie
At Coolie's launch, Rajinikanth recounted a poignant memory of encountering a college friend while working as a coolie, highlighting his humble beginnings and emotional depth.

Superstar Rajinikanth never fails to captivate his fans — both on and off the screen. At the trailer and audio launch of his upcoming film Coolie, the Thalaiva shared a series of interesting and heartfelt anecdotes, from his first meeting with director Lokesh Kanagaraj to a lighthearted conversation about hair loss with Nagarjuna, and even a deeply emotional memory from his early days working as a coolie.
Rajinikanth on Nagarjuna’s ‘Secret’ to Great Hair
Praising his co-star Nagarjuna Akkineni, Rajinikanth lauded his youthful appearance and full head of hair, even jokingly comparing it with his own.
He said, “I saw Nagarjuna during the shoot and he still looks the same. His hair is still intact. I’ve lost all my hair. When I asked him his secret, he said exercise. Director Venkat Prabhu wrote a dialogue for Ajith Kumar, which goes, ‘Innum evlo naal dan nallavanave irukardhu (how long should I play a good guy).’ That’s how his character in Coolie is.”
Calling Lokesh Kanagaraj After Watching Kaithi
Rajinikanth also recalled how he personally reached out to Lokesh Kanagaraj after watching his acclaimed film Kaithi, confident that the filmmaker was destined for greatness.
He said, “Before other actors line up for him, I wanted to meet him. I called him after Kaithi and asked if he had any stories for me.”
The superstar also shared a playful moment from their conversation: “He said yes and also added that he was a Kamal Haasan fan. Did I ask you? Did I ask you whose fan you are? Then why? It’s his way of telling me that he has an intelligent story, which doesn’t have punch dialogues.”
On Dance Rehearsals for Coolie
Rajinikanth even joked about requesting choreographer Sandy to go easy on him during dance rehearsals.
He said, “He promised me that we’d kill it in the first song. I told him, ‘I am a 1950s model and have run lakhs of kilometers. My parts were used and changed. So, don’t pressure me and handle me with care.’”
An Emotional Memory from His Days as a Coolie
Opening up about his humble beginnings, Rajinikanth shared an emotional story from his time working as a coolie.
He said, “I got yelled at many times when I was a coolie. One day, a man gave me Rs 2 asking me to load his luggage in a tempo. His voice sounded familiar to me. I realised he was my college friend. I had mocked him a lot. He told me, ‘What a show you put on.’ That was the first-ever time in my life that I broke down and cried.”

























