Coolie 1983 vs Coolie 2025: Rajinikanth’s film sparks buzz about forgotten Malayalam classic

Pan India superstar Rajinikanth has been making waves since his upcoming film Coolie was announced. And now that the film is nearing its release, every fact related to the film is making it to the headlines. On Saturday evening, the makers and entire star cast of Coolie, attended the audio launch of their film, where they also released the trailer of Coolie, which was received well by the audience. 

However, amid all this, a forgotten classic by the same name has also come into discussions. And before you think it’s Amitabh Bachchan’s Coolie, hold your horses. It’s not Big B’s classic film, which will always be remembered for more reasons than one. 

What is the forgotten Coolie film everyone’s talking about?

The film in question is Mammootty’s 1983 classic, which was forgotten by the masses but is now getting talked about again. 

Interestingly, Amitabh Bachchan and Mammootty’s Coolie was released in the same year. While the Hindi film hit theatres in December 1983, the Malayalam film was released in cinemas in May 1983. 

Mammootty’s film also featured Ratheesh, Mammootty and Shankar in lead roles. The film was directed by Ashok Kumar, produced by Sooryodaya Creation. This action drama dealt with Madhu, a police officer, who tries to protect a porter named Kunjali from getting into trouble with the law. According to IMDb, despite his warnings, Kunjali fights for the workers’ rights along with union leader Sethu.

This film failed to make a mark at the box office and was declared a flop. However, it is available on YouTube for free. 

Coolie 2025 release date and cast details

Thalaiva Rajinikanth will once again be seen on the big screens after Vettaiyan. The 74-year-old actor will be seen in the gangster drama on the occasion of Independence Day. Coolie is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. The film that also features Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan and Shruti Haasan will face a clash with YRF’s War 2 at the box office on August 14, 2025.