Sun Pictures produced Coolie starring Rajinikanth in the lead is an upcoming action thriller written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj with Anirudh Ravichander for music. Coolie releases in theaters worldwide on August 14, 2025, and the film's first single Chikitu released on June 25 in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi languages.
Chikitu also had a promotional music video release the same day in Tamil, while the Chikitu Telugu music video followed the next day on June 26. Team Anirudh had also garnered praise for making use of AI to achieve the lip sync in the Chikitu Telugu music video.
The term 'Chikitu' and the base tune is by Tamil veteran T Rajhendherr, who in a decades old interview came up with them while expressing how he used to vibe with music even during his school days. Anirudh in a new video unveiled by Sun Pictures, has explained how they went about turning TR's famous clip into a song.
Rockstar Reveals the story behind #Chikitu 📣🔥
— Sun Pictures (@sunpictures) July 2, 2025
Watch the #Chikitu Music Video & #GetChikitufied 🕺🏻
▶️ https://t.co/eeQaA8RoyT
🎵 https://t.co/MELbeDTIAO#Coolie releasing worldwide August 14th @rajinikanth @Dir_Lokesh @anirudhofficial #TRajendar @iamnagarjuna… pic.twitter.com/YQPjbMkJfk
"So how the Chikitu song began was, I have to give credit to Karthik Vamshi. He is a superb percussionist, drummer, and rhythm producer. He sends me ideas from time to time. Rhythm ideas. One of the grooves he had sent had the viral TR music making video that he had turned into a track.
What struck me at that time was that we can keep this as a base and make a full song out of it. We had chopped TR's voice and made a full song structure out of it. After that we called Arivu. Arivu as everyone knows is a super talented artist. Arivu was called and we made a song just like that. When Arivu and I jam, the studio will be super enthusiastic. It is always a super session with him.
As I recited the tunes, Arivu wrote the lyrics, and that is how the song Chikitu was born. Thalaivar (Rajinikanth) I think listened to the song only during shooting. After he heard the song, he was too into dancing. When I saw the video, I was too excited (to see Rajinikanth dancing enthusiastically).
Becuase the dance was similar to the Naan Polladhavan (a song from the 1980 movie Polladhavan) time. It was superb. After Rajinikanth listened to the song, the first day he enjoyed very much. And obviously after the final full song came out, he sent me a lengthy message. Very very happy and blessed. I can't read the message, it's personal between us. That's the kind of love that we share for each other but yeah he is very happy.
More than anything, this song has been received well by everyone. It has been a long time since Thalaivar (Rajinikanth) did a late 70s/80s mode dance. They call it the gaana dance know? He has grooved to that dance. We wanted to do such a song, and I sent it to Loki (director Lokesh Kanagaraj). And Loki also really enjoyed it.
End of the day, I am waiting for the fire of Coolie first day first show with the vibe of that song." - Anirudh on Chikitu BTS
Also starring Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, and Pooja Hegde, Aamir Khan in cameos, Coolie is made on a massive bugdet of Rs. 350 Cr. The film's overseas distribution has been sold for Rs. 68 Cr.—the highest price ever seen in Tamil Cinema—to Hamsini Entertainment.
Coolie's Telugu distribution has been acquired by Asian Multiplexes Private Limited, while Coolie's Karnaraka rights is with AV Media Consultancy.