coolie no 1 movie review

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Coolie No 1 review – David Dhawan's comedy remake is bigger but not better

Dhawan casts his son Varun in the role made famous in 1995 by Govinda, but little effort has been made to acknowledge the quarter-century since

I t’s a tale of two Bollywoods this Christmas. Over at Netflix, Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, representing Indian film’s modernising wing, have engineered the sharp and knowing meta-thriller AK vs AK . Here on Amazon Prime Video meanwhile, you can watch veteran comedy director David Dhawan renew his IP rights on Coolie No 1, previously a hit 1995 vehicle for the Sandwell-born funnyman Govinda. Even the latter’s most devout fans would probably concede the original left room for improvements, but that’s something Dhawan appears unfussed about. This Coolie updates a few reference points and replaces Govinda with latter-day hunk Varun Dhawan – the director’s son – then surrounds him with antiquated players and playing, part of a frenetic attempt to pretend the last 30 years never happened.

The plot – lowly railway porter (Dhawan) is hired to woo a society belle (Sara Ali Khan) as part of a conspiracy to disgrace her family – remains familiar and predictable. The most immediate contrast with the original is a result of the casting. Rather too obviously a handsome, cardio-trained leading man schlubbing down for (not many) easy laughs, Dhawan Jr bounds onscreen with boyish enthusiasm, but trails a lingering note of condescension – and Dhawan Sr was evidently too busy remembering how best to smash his supporting actors in the gonads to direct anyone. Khan, sadly, is stranded on balconies looking fetchingly concerned while the men below determine her character’s destiny. In this, Coolie 2020 really does seem so last century.

The well-populated songbreaks – which retain more life and colour than the jokes – reveal this a bigger film than its predecessor. Dhawan now has access to sunnier locations and more expensive hotels; the aim is clearly to give those of us in the cheap seats a sniff of the high life. But with the material as thin as ever, this version seems even emptier: it goes in one ear, and vaporises before it can emerge from the other. In 1995, and in the absence of more pressing entertainment options, such candyfloss might have passed two hours mindlessly enough. In 2020, this means it will almost certainly be the streaming premiere most likely to go unfinished this season – and competition for that sorry distinction has been fierce.

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Coolie No 1 Movie Review: Varun Dhawan tries to salvage a mirthless remake

Rating: ( 2 / 5).

Twelve years ago, on this very same Christmas day, the Hindi remake of a superhit Tamil film hit the screens and made history. Cinema consumption and valuation was never the same again. That movie was Aamir Khan’s Ghajini , a remake of the Tamil film of the same name. Although both versions of the film were directed by AR Murugadoss, the Hindi version, especially the climax that was co-written by Aamir himself, is widely considered to be the better film. Murugadoss was able to iron out the kinks in the original and deliver a more finished product in Hindi. So, it is but natural to expect that David Dhawan, who made the original Coolie No 1 , again a remake of a Tamil film ( Chinna Maapillai ), way back in 1995, would have used the 25 years that passed to do the same with the 2020 reboot. However, as Paresh Rawal’s Jeffrey Rozario in Coolie No 1 (2020) would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, the banality in the writing is quite the shocks man.”

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Javed Jafferi, Paresh Rawal

Director: David Dhawan

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

The premise is the same. The names are almost the same. Heck, even the dialogues are the same.  Coolie No 1  has not a single bone of originality that helps it stand apart from the original. Barring the sculpted physiques of the leads, a few kissing scenes, a location change or two, and a change of cast, there is not even an attempt at reinvention in this Coolie No 1 . As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, 25 years were you living under the rocks man?”

To be fair, this Coolie No 1 does start off promisingly. An animation montage sequence shows the origins of Varun’s Raju Coolie and how one of the most famous cinematic coolies, the one with armband No 786 took care of him initially. But soon thereafter, this iota of originality is traded for a scene-by-scene remake of a film that wasn’t groundbreaking in the first place. The original was a perfect product of its times with a hero who knew how to sell illogical comic capers. It is not like this time around people would be looking for logic in a David Dhawan film. But, a reboot should at least be altered in tune with the times. You see, I have no qualms in believing two grown women, and their father are easily tricked into believing Raju Coolie and Kunwar Raj Pratap Singh (again, Varun) are two different people. I have no problem buying the premise. But, in the age of smartphones, social media, and with a visibly upmarket setting, a few gags could have come from these additions. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, where are the new jokes man?”

Although the writing suffers from a heavy sense of deja vu, the performances manage to liven up the proceedings, albeit in spurts. Actors like Rawal, Javed Jaaferi, Johnny Lever, and Rajpal Yadav start off with the disadvantage of reenacting iconic comic sequences but do their best to add much-needed spunk. Unfortunately, the women in this film, Sara Ali Khan and Shikha Talsania, are offered very little to do. This might not be the best of years for Sara, who began strongly in 2019 with Kedarnath and Simbaa .  In Coolie No 1 , s he is made to oscillate between two modes — a) turn up the chutzpah in refurbished song sequences, and b) put up a lips-pursed face of innocence irrespective of what is happening around her. In a year with some powerful writing of female characters, it is a shame that we have such unnecessary stereotypes and a few more tone-deaf gags that should have been left in the 20th century. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, women aren’t just there to prance around in short frocks, man.”

It is safe to assume there is an entire generation who haven’t watched Govinda do what he does best — entertain with abandon — in the original Coolie No 1 . Considering this is the second such remake attempted by the Dhawans after Judwaa , it is clear the elder Dhawan is reworking tried-and-tested formulas to cement his son's stardom. Varun does everything and more that his father made Salman, Akshay and Govinda do in his superhit films. He doesn’t bat an eyelid before doing a god-knows-why-it-exists train stunt that will soon be perfect fodder for memes. In fact, it is a disservice to the talent of Varun that he is often burdened with comparisons to superstars like Salman or Govinda. Perhaps he should say 'no' to his father at times. Coolie No 1 goes to show that stepping into the shoes of a unique superstar like Govinda might just not be Varun's cup of tea… yet. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, Govinda is an entertainer nonpareil, and thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, man.” 

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Coolie No. 1

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Watch Coolie No. 1 with a subscription on Prime Video.

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David Dhawan

Varun Dhawan

Raju Coolie

Sara Ali Khan

Paresh Rawal

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Coolie No. 1 movie review: Varun and Sara, here’s a question after I watched the film – why?

In Coolie No. ItShouldNeverHaveBeenDone, the pace lags, the worn-out formulae are a bore, Dhawan Junior is off colour, Sara Ali Khan is a mere glamorous prop looking bizarre in the kind of outfits that looked awful when Karisma Kapoor wore them in the 1990s and are just as horrendous in 2020.

Language: Hindi

A Christian heroine who makes the sign of the cross in the middle of regular conversations, a Christian Dad who says “Oh maaaaan” more often than the definite article, a supporting character with a stutter, another with a debilitating lisp, a third who does a ‘South Indian’ impression with a sing-song accent, a ‘South Indian’ server at a dhaba who goes “ Aiyyaiyyo ” at the drop of a hat, a hero who does a kinnar imitation during a song and dance routine – the list of Stone Age stereotypes and politically incorrect clichés from pre-2000 Bollywood that Coolie No. 1 regurgitates could fill a page.

Truth be told though, they are not worthy of being analysed or deemed offensive. Because what is far more troubling is that director David Dhawan decided to pack exhausting corniness into a remake of his 1990s Govinda-Karisma blockbuster of the same name which in itself was a remake, without an atom of originality in the entire being of the 2020 version and nothing to match Govinda’s under-rated comedic genius that shone through even in terrible films – Dhawansaab who, when at his best, is capable of creating comedies of errors without insulting human intelligence.

Like the earlier one, Coolie No. 1 Redux is about a marriage broker out to avenge an insult from a former client. Pandit Jai Kishen (Jaaved Jaaferi) brings a family to meet the daughter of the gold-digging Jeffery Rozario (Paresh Rawal) who humiliates him because he wants a billionaire for his girl. Jai Kishen vows vendetta and for this purpose, finds a poor orphaned porter called Raju (Varun Dhawan) – the “coolie” of the title – at a railway station to fix him up with Ms Rozario, Sarah (Sara Ali Khan). The catch is that Jai Kishen, now disguised as a curly-haired south Indian called Jackson, gets Raju to pretend to be the son of a wealthy man (Anil Dhawan) in an elaborate scheme that has more loopholes than the chhed (holes) with which Robinhood Pandey threatened to riddle Chhedi Singh’s body in Dabangg.

Obviously, stories in this genre are not meant to be assessed for logic. They require a suspension of disbelief that allows the audience to swallow the possibility that a wig or a new accent, a fake moustache or coloured contact lenses are enough to convince normal humans that you are a different person from the one they earlier met. I don’t know about you, but on a day when the actors’ comic timing and the pace of the narrative are spot on, I am happy to submit myself to such unapologetic stupidity.

In Coolie No. ItShouldNeverHaveBeenDone though, the pace lags, the worn-out formulae are a bore, Dhawan Junior – who has proved his skills with comedy in films such as Main Tera Hero – is off colour, Sara Ali Khan is a mere glamorous prop looking bizarre in the kind of outfits that looked awful when Karisma Kapoor wore them in the 1990s and are just as horrendous in 2020, and not a single member of the supporting cast does anything to redeem the film.

For how many decades will Bollywood slapstick feature characters who rhyme sentences, mix up Hindi and English words and mimic famous movie stars without at least a new spin on this old wine?

When Raju makes a prediction early in the film and declares that he is an “astronaut” (by which he means “astrologer”) I was in an indulgent mood and giggled.

Then he mistakenly substitutes “prisoner” for “princess” and tells a woman “ main tumhe prisoner ki tarah rakhoonga ” (I will keep you like my prisoner), and I smiled, though cautiously, because the predictability had already begun to show.

Then he apes Mithun Chakraborty and Amitabh Bachchan, and I got myself a cup of coffee.

Then there is a play on Sarah’s name involving the Hindi words saara (full) and aadha (half) that was not half bad but fell flat because his dialogue delivery was slower than a snail. And I yawned further.

Then Jackson says (never mind the situation): “Kunwar saab, very risky,” to which Jeffery Rozario’s reaction is, “What? What risky? Jab meri beti ho gayee iski, abhi toh only rum and whiskey,” and I dozed off.

Then Raju apes Chakraborty for the millionth time, and I got myself a second cup of coffee.

Then Rozario tells his other daughter who he is taking on a trip to hook a rich man: “Heaven on the dock! Bag mein daala na chhota-chhota frock?” and I fell into a sleep so deep that I had to be woken up by a friend with a splash of cold water on my face.

Along the way, the story of Coolie No. 1 makes light of a man marrying a woman and having sex with her by deception, but this film is too ineffective to merit even anger. And the characterisation is inconsistent but the script is too bland to merit evaluation.

The only evolution I can think of, if it can be called evolution at all, is that the many stereotypes in this film – the Christians, the south Indians, the persons with disabilities and so on – are not as exaggerated-to-the-point-of-being-nauseous as they were in pre-2000 Bollywood (although someone really really needs to educate Hindi filmmakers and tell them to stop ignorantly replicating in the Indian scenario the American and European Christian weddings they see in Western films. I have attended scores and scores of Indian Christian weddings in my lifetime, and I have yet to see one where the priest tells the groom, “You may kiss the bride.” Seriously, Dhawansaab? Eye roll!)

Varun Dhawan has innate comic talent (and versatility as we saw in Shoojit Sircar’s October ) but his performance here is under-par.

Sara Ali Khan began her career with such promise, her searing charisma blazed across the small screen in her famous maiden TV interview on the show Koffee With Karan and was matched by her moving performance in her debut film Kedarnath , but for some reason since then, she has picked one uninspiring script after another and in this one is satisfied being the kind of heroine who does nothing more than fill the slot of “the hero’s love interest” in a formulaic Bollywood venture.

The rest of the cast, who have been impressive in other films, is ordinary here.

The lone points of enjoyment in Coolie No. 1 are the revisitations of the hit numbers ‘ Goriya churana mera jiya’ and ‘ Main toh raste se jaa raha thha ,’ although it says everything there is to say about this film that the latter song was more fun when it ran with the closing credits and no visuals of the lead pair than when it was inserted into the narrative with the two of them dancing to it.

Dhawansaab, Varun and Sara, here is a question for you – why?

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Coolie No. 1 (1995)

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Coolie No. 1 (2020) Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video

By Ritika Singh

Coolie No. 1 (2020 ) is a comedy-drama following the chaotic journey of a poor and street-smart porter Raju. It is an official remake of the 1995 film of the same name. It premiered digitally on December 25, 2020.

Here’s how you can watch and stream Coolie No. 1 via streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video.

Is Coolie No. 1 (2020) available to watch via streaming?

Yes, Coolie No. 1 is available to watch via streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Raju, an orphan and a porter, is approached by a matchmaker to marry a wealthy heiress Sarah Rozario. Sarah falls in love with him but her father strictly demands an affluent family. David Dhawan returns as the director of the remake.

The star cast features Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Javed Jaffrey, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, and many others in key roles.

Watch Coolie No. 1 (2020) streaming via Amazon Prime Video

Coolie No. 1 i s available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video provides a vast library of movies, TV shows, and original content to its subscribers.

You can watch via Amazon Prime Video by following these steps:

• Go to  Amazon Prime Video
• Select ‘Sign in’ and ‘Create your Amazon account’
• $14.99 per month or $139 per year with an Amazon Prime membership
• $8.99 per month for a standalone Prime Video membership

Amazon Prime is the online retailer’s paid service that provides fast shipping and exclusive sales on products, so the membership that includes both this service and Prime Video is the company’s most popular offering. However, you can also opt to subscribe to Prime Video separately.

Coolie No. 1’s synopsis is as follows:

”Insulted by Rosario, a rich businessman, Jai Kishen a Matchmaker teaches him a lesson by getting his daughter married to Raju, a Coolie, who poses to be a millionaire. They sense something fishy and Raju’s deceptions are discovered. In an attempt to cover it up, he cooks up a story of having a filthy rich twin. One lie leads to another and things start to go awry culminating in a comedy of errors.”

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

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‘Coolie No. 1’ Movie Review: Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan starrer is a horrendous film that sums up 2020

Ramesh Modi

• December 25, 2020
• Comments off

'Coolie No. 1' Movie Review: Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan starrer is a horrendous film that sums up 2020

• Bubble Reviews
• ‘Coolie No. 1’ Mov ...

Directed By David Dhawan

Produced By Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani & Deepshikha Deshmukh

Cast Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Jaaved Jaaferi, Johny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Shikha Talsania, Sahil Vaid

Set in the fictional city of Mumbai (yes I’m writing this in my senses, although I’m still recovering), this David Dhawan directorial is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name which was directed by David Dhawan himself and which itself was a remake of the Tamil film titled ‘Chinna Mapillai’. I say fictional because the Mumbai which has been projected in the film, looks nothing like the one in real life because this film looks down upon reality like a classist, and also like a guy with an inflated ego who’s so drunk on vengeance that it’d go to any lengths to settle the scores; and with that, I give the setup of the film and the character introductions of Paresh Rawal’s and Jaaved Jaaferi’s part. If you had a problem with Rohit Shetty’s films insulting the laws of physics, boy oh buoy! You are in for a treat with ‘Coolie No. 1’ as Mr. David Dhawan has murdered science in full graphic detail. There are scenes where Varun Dhawan’s character is running atop a speeding train to save a child, where he crosses a speeding train moments before it could crush him to death and a human pyramid that rather acts a trampoline to the characters, who jump off the hospital building. No concern for the impact and inertia whatsoever.

The film tells the story of a Coolie named Raju, who lives a dual life of an affluent man and a coolie, after he falls in love with the rich kid (Sara Ali Khan) of a hotelier (Paresh Rawal). David Dhawan’s direction is flawed and stuck in time. In addition, the film’s editing can send an OCD patient into a coma which is a travesty given that Mr. Dhawan himself has been an editor, that too an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

The lead actors do their job with the fluidity and flexibility of cardboard. Varun Dhawan breaks into random mimicry whenever he’s playing Raju; the Coolie, Sara Ali Khan’s character is either too innocent or too dumb to figure out what’s happening around her. The leg piece of Kauwwa biryani in the film, “Run” had more meat than Sara’s character here. Sikha Talsania and Sahil Vaid struggle with poor dialogues and, they look completely out of place throughout the length of the film. The supporting cast of the film has an army of talented actors ranging from Paresh Rawal, Jaaved Jaaferi, Rajpal Yadav and Johny Lever; each of them known for the style of comedy which is unique to them. Yet, all this army fail spectacularly at churning out comedy just like how Uncle Sam’s army failed in the Vietnam War. Well, you can’t do much with the timing when the dialogues are utter bullshit and the reason for this is the repeat offender in the form of Farhad Samji, whose dialogues are random and poorly framed, forget about making any sense, whatsoever. If writing is a craft then Samji is a white-collar employee who’s just living life for the heck of it. No no, don’t get me wrong, I’m not averse to politically incorrect jokes, I have a pretty good appetite for humour which is dark, disturbing and politically incorrect to epic proportions provided they’re not licensed under the mediocrity.

The production design and art department of the film provide some respite only because it’s not in synergy with the film which is kind of odd but, then nothing makes sense anymore. ‘Coolie No. 1’ seems to be the final nail in the coffin, for a year which has been so hard. Well played 2020, you got us in the first half and you escalated the game towards the end as well.

Also Read: ‘AK Vs AK’ Movie Review: Leave everything and watch this Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap starrer edge-of-the-seat thriller!

Consulting Editor @ BollywoodBubble. You can also find me on – https://twitter.com/RameshPModi

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'Coolie No 1' Movie Review: Traumatising To Say The Least

A film that has been a highly anticipated one for this year is varun dhawan and sara ali khan starrer coolie no 1. the film is a remake of the 1995 govinda and karisma kapoor starrer and is helmed by david dhawan, who had also directed the original..

David Dhawan

Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan, Sahil Vaid, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, Shikha Talsania and Jaaved Jaaferi apart from Paresh Rawal

Varun and Sara's Coolie No 1 released last night on Amazon Prime Video and well, fans were quick to sit with their families to enjoy this comedy remake of Govinda and Karisma's film.

It definitely has more colour and slickness, but all its gloss is strictly superficial. The new version is flashier and louder. The hope clearly is to paper over - and drown out - the sheer pointlessness of the exercise. But no matter what the director and his son, lead actor Varun Dhawan, try, this coolie is anything but numero uno. The 2020 Coolie No 1, released on Amazon Prime Video, is no patch on the 1995 Coolie No 1.

Varun Dhawan, who slips into the Govinda role without ever evoking memories of that inspired comic star turn, is more swag than substance as he wends his way through Coolie No 1. When he is joined by Sara Ali Khan to sway to Main toh raste se jaa raha thha (the song begins with the line 'Back to the 90s' as if we needed a reminder) and Goriya chura naa mera jiya, the original musical set pieces are never in danger of being obliterated from Bollywood movie lore.

The earlier film was set in a village: Karisma was a ghaghra-clad gaon-ki-gori, Govinda wanted to set up a cement factory. In this one, the gaon has become Goa. Instead of a factory, it is a port, and Sara Ali Khan is a city girl in flouncy minis and pointy stilettos.

Kader Khan’s Seth Hoshiyarchand is now Goa hotelier Jeffery Rozario (Paresh Rawal) whose only dream is to find a stinking rich husband for his daughter Sarah (Sara Ali Khan). Rozario, in his search for the richest man in the country for his daughter, insults the matchmaker Jai Kishen (Jaaved Jaffrey, a 2020 version of Sadashiv Amrapurkar’s Shadiram Gharjode) who promises to avenge the insult. He brings in a railway porter Raju (Varun Dhawan) to play the rich suitor Kunwar Raj Pratap Singh. Blinded by the promise of immense wealth, Rozario gets Raju married to his daughter, but soon realises everything is not what it seems. In order to throw him off the scent, Raju cooks up the story of having a twin, adding more confusion to an already overflowing plot.

Although suspension of disbelief is a part of watching a David Dhawan film, Coolie No 1's plot is hopelessly out of sync with today’s time. Men get hit in gonads and women are the victims of casual sexism. Speech impairment is mined for laughs, as is people's weight. Even coronavirus is not spared as it is used in a rather tasteless, and unfunny joke. This is not a reboot, it feels like a spoof and it is best not to tamper with nostalgia.

Meanwhile, the film's trailer was released a few weeks back in a virtual event hosted by Varun, Sara and Paresh Rawal. The film stars Sahil Vaid, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, Shikha Talsania and Jaaved Jaaferi apart from Paresh Rawal, Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan. It is produced by Pooja Entertainment and can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

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Coolie No. 1 – Movie Review

The original Coolie No. 1 (1995), a remake of Santhana Bharathi’s Tamil film Chinna Mapillai (1993), was hardly a masterpiece of comedy that a filmmaker would want to remake. Back then, the David Dhawan-Govinda combination was box-office gold; today, the remake only serves to remind us that mainstream cinema was loud and crass and the audiences it catered to had terrible taste.

Meanwhile, our society has taken one step forward and two steps back, so there is still an audience for such films (on an OTT platform anything serves as ‘timepass’), but why do young stars who agree to act in this kind of film, not stop to think how regressive it is? Varun Dhawan is the director’s son, whose career is doing well without help from the family. He did a passable remake of Judwaa No 1 , and should have put a stop to this remake train right then.

It 2020, it seems horrific that Jai Kishan, a matchmaker (Jaaved Jaaferi), who is insulted by Jeffrey Rozario (Paresh Rawal) for bringing an unsuitable (that is, not rich enough) match for his daughter, decides to humiliate him in revenge, by—get this—punishing his daughter by getting her married to a poor guy. So he makes a coolie, Raju (Varun Dhawan), pass off as a billionaire and hook in the daughter Sarah (Sara Ali Khan). He has fallen in love with her photo, so he is happy to participate in the fraud. (In a David Dhawan film, it is not strange that a Hindu Pandit is matchmaking for a Catholic girl). In this social media age, obviously photo shopped pictures of Raju with celebrities are considered adequate as proof of his identity—nobody heard of Google?

To add to the non-PC junk, Sara’s sister Anju (Shikha Talsania) is overweight, so she is not worthy of anybody higher than a mechanic—Raju’s buddy (Sahil Vaid). Their uncle is a lisping idiot (Rajpal Yadav) who is ridiculed by everyone. The only one spared ignominy is Rozario’s mother (Bharati Achrekar), in the original the grandmother was called “ budhiya ” and told to shut up. Later in the film, when Raju pretends to have a black sheep twin who is the coolie, Rozario actually pimps for Anju by making her go into a hotel with him, so that they can hook up and he gets a second rich son-in-law.

The film was awful and unfunny in 1995, if audiences are willing to forgive it, credit goes to Govinda and Kader Khan (as the greedy father-in-law), who did the most odious scenes either with total conviction or with a wink at the idiocy of it all, so blame the writer and director. (Govinda made lyrics like Tujhko mirchi lagi to main kya karoon, sound like fun when he danced on screen).

Varun Dhawan does not have that kind of chutzpah yet, so he resorts to mimicking Mithun Chakraborty and other stars (a whole roster of them). The others are just unpleasant without an excuse. This Coolie No. 1 is not a tribute — because which director would be vain enough to pay tribute to himself– it’s not a parody of the tasteless of nineties’ popular movies, so why did this travesty with eyesore production values, garish costumes and remixed music even need to be made?

Deepa Gahlot

I listened to film stories as bedtime tales, got a library card as soon as I could read, and was taken to the theatre when I was old enough to stay awake. So, I grew up to love books, movies and plays. I have been writing about them for the better part of a quarter century, won a National Award for film criticism, wrote several books, edited magazines, had writings included in anthologies... work has been fun!

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Coolie No 1

wogma rating: Switch channels if it's on cable ( ? )

No, I hadn't expected anything else. Got exactly what I had signed up for and more on each count—worst kind of misogyny, cringy slapstick humour, horrifying ahemmm story-line.

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No, I hadn't expected anything else. Got exactly what I had signed up for and more on each count— - misogyny at its worst and more - cringy slapstick humour that gets cringier - horrifying ahemmm story-line and characters...umm more attempts at clearing throat - number of times I said “disgusting” out loud—lost count after 235432 - abrupt screenplay - idolises quite a few horrible people from around the world - actors trying their best to make over-the-top look tolerable - decent choreography - I am not silly enough to ask for logic in the film, so will not wonder the many national integration questions I have.

You may ask, “why do I even bother?” So, I can have my say

- meeta, a part of the audience

23 reviewers ( ? ) - 2 yays 4 so-so 17 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, COOLIE NO. 1 is a typical David Dhawan entertainer — crazy, outrageous and over the top — but funny and entertaining. Sit back and enjoy this ride!... full review

Thumbs up, by Joginder Tuteja, Planet Bollywood : ...That’s how the film as a whole works too. It is easy on the eyes and most importantly, is a hardcore family entertainer with no crime or adult elements in there which would have made none cringe. Considering the fact that the OTT medium is abound with these kind of elements in practically every outing, Coolie No. 1 comes across as a welcome rel... full review

So-So, by Ritika Handoo, DNA : ...All in all, watch 'Coolie No. 1' if you really are fans of Varun and Sara - but please remember there's nothing number 1 about it, and the makers did warn you with Mirchi Lagi Toh, Main Kya Karu?... full review

So-So, by Nitin Jain, Glamsham.com : ...Coolie no. 1 could help families watch this entertainer in the comfy of their homes. COOLIE NO. 1 is a David Dhawan genre entertainer with outrageous, over the top situations that genre audience may find funny and entertaining. With so much of serious content being offered, Coolie no. 1 could prove to be an entertaining relief.... full review

So-So, by Tiasa Bhowal, india today : ...Varun Dhawan’s Coolie No 1 frankly doesn’t match up to what Govinda gave us in the 1995 version because it is almost impossible to fill into the latter’s shoes when it comes to his comic timing. If you loved Govinda’s Coolie No 1, this one will definitely not appeal to you because there’s not much happening here that you did not already witness earlier.... full review

So-So, by Ronak Kotecha, Times of India : ...The film’s music is catchy and the songs are well-shot with all the shenanigans of a grand Bollywood potboiler in place. It makes for a good watch, but the ‘Mirchi lagi’ song deserved a much better remake. Oh, and that’s true for the film as well. So the only trick to get entertained by this insanity is to admit how loud and pointless it is without comparing it with the original.... full review

Thumbs down, by Urmimala Banerjee, Bollywood Life : ...Honestly, there is very little to like about the film. The original movie was one that managed to make us laugh very naturally. We saw some great chemistry between actors like late Kader Khan, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and of course, Shakti Kapoor. The new version is a snazzier one and that's about it. Varun Dhawan tries hard succeeding in bits and parts. Some of the scenes with Javed Jaffrey are good. Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan's chemistry in the Husn Na Suhana song is good. Sahil Vaid is good as Varun Dhawan's friend.... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, Deepa Gahlot : ...Coolie No. 1 is not a tribute — because which director would be vain enough to pay tribute to himself– it’s not a parody of the tasteless of nineties’ popular movies, so why did this travesty with eyesore production values, garish costumes and remixed music even need to be made?... full review

Thumbs down, by Rahul Desai, Film Companion : ...Coolie No. 1 is somehow worse because it exists on the internet. Euphemistic terms like “paisa-vasool” and “one-time watch” apply to the cultural act of watching a film in cinema halls. The halls are an escape from life, so even terrible movies find meaning because of how they become part of a larger communal experience. The outing defines the entertainment... full review

Thumbs down, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Films belong to their eras. Not all films can be successfully replicated into another era and that seems to be the case with Coolie No 1 as well. David Dhawan survived because he gave the audience what they wanted but he seems to have misread the changed perception here...... full review

Thumbs down, by Madhuri V, Filmi Beat : ...In one of the scenes in the film, Paresh Rawal's character Jeffery Rozario quips, "Heaven on the docks man, Judwaa out of the box, man." David Dhawan's latest directorial Coolie No. 1 turns out to be a weaker twin of the 1995 film. All Govinda fans out there, steer clear of this one!... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubha Shetty, Free Press Journal : ...wan’s attempt at remaking his 25-year-old film could have been a fun riot all over again, only if the writing (screenplay by Rumi Jaffrey and dialogues by Fahad Samji), and treatment of the film were not stuck in the time the original was made. The writing reeks of casual sexism, laughing at a lesser abled and lesser privileged people, shows that it hasn’t definitely kept up with time. There are quite a few loopholes in the story too.... full review

Thumbs down, by Jyoti Sharma Bawa, Hindustan Times : ...David Dhawan has proved beyond doubt that it is impossible to templatise David Dhawan. With the sharp writing and editing missing, Coolie No 1 is but a poor facsimile of the original... full review

Thumbs down, by R.M. VIJAYAKAR, India West : ...And if you too have nothing to do, watch the film. Otherwise, get into the wi-fi time machine and go revisit the 1995 film.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...We can do with laughter in these dark times, but not like this, with zero wit, no flair.... full review

Thumbs down, Khaleej Times : ...Amusing, how you tend to subconsciously recall Govinda in specific scenes as Varun tries repeating random antics. That can surely be the biggest failure for a remake.... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Surely with 30 years of economic ascent, that has changed. Or maybe not. By the way, Sudha Kongara's massy, Tamil biopic of Captain Gopinath, Soorarai Pottru (2020), also on Amazon Prime Video, might well be the anti-thesis of Coolie No. 1, since it's about how India's railway passengers can afford a plane ride.... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...When Raju Coolie's ruse is about to fall apart, he adopts Mithun Chakraborty's dialogue delivery style to distinguish the porter from the young tycoon wedded to the heroine Sarah Rozario (Sara Ali Khan). But these tips of the hat to Bollywood of the last millennium are wayward because there is no clear context created for them in the script.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rohit Vats, News18.com : ...Then there are frequent imitations of Bollywood stars in bizarrely disinteresting ways, and in the middle of all this unintentional chaos, Sara Ali Khan keeps standing on the balcony in search of a savior, not for her but the film. Either she knew what was going to happen to the film and wanted to get out of the sets as soon as possible, or what they say about nepotism is true. It’s not a film she would like to be remembered for.... full review

Thumbs down, by Ranpreet Kaur, Pinkvilla : ...Overall, with dull performances, no Govinda, Karisma, Kader Khan and David Dhawan’s original charm, slapstick humour, this Coolie No 1 is just a burdensome cringe-worthy watch.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Even most of the tunes are reworked. If this movie can claim anything as its own, it is the creation of a new philosophical theory. “What is... is what?” says Raju in his nurse avatar – an apt description of this endeavour as well as the larger misguided attempt to remake old favourites.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Varun Dhawan seems entrapped in an image, and the young actor could benefit from rethinking his limiting choices. One also wishes Sara Ali Khan looks beyond the tried and tested. It's altogether too sad when young actors choose to conform rather than push the envelope.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo, The Hindu : ...There’s no harm in remaking an old blockbuster for a newer audience but it may have benefited from a more contemporary absurd comedy.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

No readers have rated this movie yet.

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review .

Parental Guidance:

• Violence : Anything in the name of comedy.
• Language : Lots that passed in the name of comedy
• Nudity & Sexual content : Lots of alluding to sex and a couple of lip-to-lips. Also, abortion mentioned.
• Concept : A man wants to get back at another for insulting him. A man wants to marry a girls who he falls in love for the first time. The two men meet.
• General Look and Feel : The usual David Dhawan fair. Bright and loud.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Coolie no 1 - cast, crew, links.

Coolie No 1 - Trailer

If you cannot see a video above, click here to see it on YouTube

Comments (1)

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Well try but fail. Coolie No.1 always remember for Govinda sir. 1 time enough I never want to watch this movie again.

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Coolie No 1 Movie Review

Coolie No 1 Devesh Sharma , Dec 25, 2020, 14:18 IST

Coolie no 1.

25 years ago, David Dhawan produced a massy hit starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. Much has happened in the intervening years but David Dhawan seems to be stuck in a time loop. That can be the only reason why he attempted to remake the film with his son Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan. The film looks and feels as if it was made in the ’90s. The only change is the added gloss.

Raju (Varun Dhawan)  the coolie in question, doesn’t work in a bus stand but in a Mumbai railway station. The girl’s father has been transported from being a villager to the owner of a plush hotel in Goa. Jeffery Rozario (Paresh Rawal) wants his daughter Sarah (Sara Ali Khan) to be married to the richest guy in the world. He humiliates the pandit Jai Kishan (Javed Jaffrey) who has brought a prospective alliance to him. Don’t ask us why a pandit is acting as a marriage broker for a Christian family. Jai Kishan chances upon Raju at the railway station while returning from Goa and concocts a plan to get Raju married to Sarah to avenge his humiliation. Again, don’t ask us why Raju, who seems to be a good-natured guy, agrees to this hare-brained scheme of duping an innocent girl. All goes according to the plan, till Rozario catches Raju in the garb of the coolie. Now, he has to pretend to be his own twin brother in order to keep the facade going. 

25 years ago, when the audience didn’t have better choices and wasn’t so evolved as now, this kind of over-the-top comedy might have worked but now it all looks jaded. Not that anything much has changed in the plot. It was pretty juvenile then and it remains so now. What kept it going was the total involvement of the ensemble cast in the project. The antics of Kader Khan as the father and Shakti Kapoor as his brother-in-law did make us laugh. Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, who reprise the roles, are fine actors in their own right but are below par here. Even Johnny Lever, comedy’s Mr Dependable, fails to elicit laughs. All these actors have been doing slapstick since aeons. Perhaps the predictability of their actions is at fault here or it could be that the actors themselves have lost faith in playing stock characters. 

Another factor in making the earlier film a hit was the crackling chemistry between Govinda and Karisma. Varun and Sara seem to lack the X factor of the original jodi. Nothing wrong with their individual performances, mind you. Varun, in fact, gives the film his all, mimicking everyone from Mithun Chakraborty, Raaj Kumar to Dilip Kumar. He even indulges in a drag act. Sara too puts her A-game on display here and goes all out to create a likeable character of a good-natured girl who easily forgives her husband for conning her so gloriously. The earnestness and enthusiasm of the lead couple can’t be denied. It’s just that taken together, the movie doesn’t feel fresh enough. Even the reprised versions of songs like Goriya chura na mera jiya and Main to raste se ja raha tha seem pale when compared to the originals. 

Films belong to their eras. Not all films can be successfully replicated into another era and that seems to be the case with Coolie No 1 as well. David Dhawan survived because he gave the audience what they wanted but he seems to have misread the changed perception here...

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Coolie No 1

Release date: 30 june, 1995, coolie no 1 movie.

“Main Housefull Ke Jaisi Picture 15 Saal Pehle Coolie No. 1 Release Ki”: Vashu Bhagnani

Articles (11).

SCOOP: The Inside story of the Coolie No. 1 Battle between Rumi Jaffrey and Farhad Samji

Karisma Kapoor shares throwback photo with Govinda from ‘Husn Hai Suhana’ song; Varun Dhawan says ‘love u lolo’, Ranveer Singh calls her ‘queen’ 

Coolie No 1: When David Dhawan was angry with Varun Dhawan but vented it on Sara Ali Khan during ‘Main Toh Raste Se’ shoot

Sara Ali Khan calls Varun Dhawan a ‘brat’ for copying her style of shayari

The Kapil Sharma Show: Coolie No. 1 pair Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan kick-start promotions in style 

25 Years Of Coolie No 1: Karisma Kapoor shares poster with Govinda, couldn’t stop laughing looking at her outfit

Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan showcase their sizzling chemistry as they wrap up Coolie No 1, pen endearing posts

It’s a wrap for Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan on Coolie No 1

Varun Dhawan opens up about upcoming comedies Coolie No 1 and Mr. Lele

Coolie No 1: Varun Dhawan escapes unhurt after a car stunt goes wrong

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'Coolie No 1' movie review: Varun Dhawan tries to salvage a mirthless remake

Twelve years ago, on this very same Christmas day, the Hindi remake of a superhit Tamil film hit the screens and made history. Cinema consumption and valuation was never the same again. That movie was Aamir Khan’s Ghajini, a remake of the Tamil film of the same name. Although both versions of the film were directed by AR Murugadoss, the Hindi version, especially the climax that was co-written by Aamir himself, is widely considered to be the better film. Murugadoss was able to iron out the kinks in the original and deliver a more finished product in Hindi. So, it is but natural to expect that David Dhawan, who made the original Coolie No 1, again a remake of a Tamil film (Chinna Maapillai), way back in 1995, would have used the 25 years that passed to do the same with the 2020 reboot. However, as Paresh Rawal’s Jeffrey Rozario in Coolie No 1 (2020) would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, the banality in the writing is quite the shocks man.”

The premise is the same. The names are almost the same. Heck, even the dialogues are the same. Coolie No 1 has not a single bone of originality that helps it stand apart from the original. Barring the sculpted physiques of the leads, a few kissing scenes, a location change or two, and a change of cast, there is not even an attempt at reinvention in this Coolie No 1. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, 25 years were you living under the rocks man?”

To be fair, this Coolie No 1 does start off promisingly. An animation montage sequence shows the origins of Varun’s Raju Coolie and how one of the most famous cinematic coolies, the one with armband No 786 took care of him initially. But soon thereafter, this iota of originality is traded for a scene-by-scene remake of a film that wasn’t groundbreaking in the first place. The original was a perfect product of its times with a hero who knew how to sell illogical comic capers. It is not like this time around people would be looking for logic in a David Dhawan film. But, a reboot should at least be altered in tune with the times. You see, I have no qualms in believing two grown women, and their father are easily tricked into believing Raju Coolie and Kunwar Raj Pratap Singh (again, Varun) are two different people. I have no problem buying the premise. But, in the age of smartphones, social media, and with a visibly upmarket setting, a few gags could have come from these additions. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, where are the new jokes man?”

Although the writing suffers from a heavy sense of deja vu, the performances manage to liven up the proceedings, albeit in spurts. Actors like Rawal, Javed Jaaferi, Johnny Lever, and Rajpal Yadav start off with the disadvantage of reenacting iconic comic sequences but do their best to add much-needed spunk. Unfortunately, the women in this film, Sara Ali Khan and Shikha Talsania, are offered very little to do. This might not be the best of years for Sara, who began strongly in 2019 with Kedarnath and Simbaa. In Coolie No 1, she is made to oscillate between two modes — a) turn up the chutzpah in refurbished song sequences, and b) put up a lips-pursed face of innocence irrespective of what is happening around her. In a year with some powerful writing of female characters, it is a shame that we have such unnecessary stereotypes and a few more tone-deaf gags that should have been left in the 20th century. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, women aren’t just there to prance around in short frocks, man.”

It is safe to assume there is an entire generation who haven’t watched Govinda do what he does best — entertain with abandon — in the original Coolie No 1. Considering this is the second such remake attempted by the Dhawans after Judwaa, it is clear the elder Dhawan is reworking tried-and-tested formulas to cement his son's stardom. Varun does everything and more that his father made Salman, Akshay and Govinda do in his superhit films. He doesn’t bat an eyelid before doing a god-knows-why-it-exists train stunt that will soon be perfect fodder for memes. In fact, it is a disservice to the talent of Varun that he is often burdened with comparisons to superstars like Salman or Govinda. Perhaps he should say 'no' to his father at times. Coolie No 1 goes to show that stepping into the shoes of a unique superstar like Govinda might just not be Varun's cup of tea… yet. As Jeffrey Rozario would have said, “Heaven on the docks man, Govinda is an entertainer nonpareil, and thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, man.” 

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Javed Jafferi, Paresh Rawal Director: David Dhawan Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video Rating: 2/5

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Coolie Title Teaser X (Twitter) Review: Rajinikanth's New Look Praised

Rajinikanth’s upcoming movie Thalaivar 171 with Lokesh Kanagaraj has been titled Coolie . Helmed by Kanagaraj, the movie is one of the most anticipated action dramas. The buzz around it is massive, and its title announcement teaser has created a stir among the audience.

On April 22, the movie’s title teaser was launched, which amazed Thalaivar’s fans. It features the superstar in a brand-new role. Touted to play the role of a coolie, Rajinikanth looks enigmatic fighting goons. Despite how mysterious the movie’s story has become, its commendable action sequences seemingly stole netizens’ hearts.

Netizens praise Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Directorial Coolie

Netizens are evidently delighted after watching Coolie’s title teaser. The microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) is filled with reactions to the newly released clip. While some are impressed by Rajinikanth’s new look in the actioner, others are heaping praise on the director.

One of the X users wrote, “Thalaivar effortlessly exudes his panache in this #Coolie title teaser showcasing his unmatched charisma. Loki, Ani, and Anbariv deliver it right.”

On the other hand, another one claimed that the movie would break several box office records. The tweet read, “Mark my words..! #Coolie will beat Kollywood’s Top 2 Grossers 2.0 & Jailer. May even become the first Tamil film to reach 1000 Cr Club.”

A third user was surprised to see the level of action in Kanagaraj’s directorial. Moreover, the user mentioned the movie has a “retro connect.” The user wrote, “I didn’t expect Loki to go this Mass both with the promo (Vikram, LEO were Stylish zones) & title itself. Coolie, Thara local title. Superstar Mass mannerisms & retro connect.”

In conclusion, fans are thrilled to watch Rajinikanth in his action element. The action sequences in Kanagaraj’s last movie, Leo, became the talking point of the film. However, the director has confirmed that his upcoming movie will differ from his previous films.

The post Coolie Title Teaser X (Twitter) Review: Rajinikanth’s New Look Praised appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More .

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• Dhanush reacts to Superstar Rajinikanth's 'Coolie' title teaser, calls it "Mass"

Dhanush reacts to Superstar Rajinikanth's 'Coolie' title teaser, calls it "Mass"

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Coolie (Hindi) Teaser Review: Rajinikanth In Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Universe Is Literally Raining Gold & Hinting At Shah Rukh Khan’s Arrival – Thalaivar’s 171 Is Beasting Already!

Rajinikanth and lokesh kanagaraj's thalaivar 171 title is titled coolie and the teaser hints at shah rukh khan's entry in the film.

The teaser is equally entertaining in Hindi as in Tamil, with Anna entering a dockyard stuffed with Gold. But guess who glitters more than Gold? None other than Anna.  As  he carelessly keeps attacking goons at illegal sites , his charm and suaveness are unparalleled .

In Tamil, the actor re-iterates his Ranga dialogue offering a brilliant recall to his fans. Anirudh’s background music also promises to push this commercial entertainer to its peak. Coolie teaser, however, is too soon to judge the film that will commence the shoot now.

But the Hindi version of the song hints massively at Shah Rukh Khan’s arrival as well.  A few months ago,  it was speculated that SRK was approached by Loki for the Rajinikanth film.  However, he politely declined the offer.

Recently it was speculated that SRK is  definitely  collaborating on Coolie with Rajinikanth.  Now,  in the teaser, Anna hints at this massive collaboration, and we might  not spoil  your experience of watching the teaser and figuring it out yourself.   However, we  might  definitely  tell  you  to  look for an easy, breezy whistle at the end of the teaser.  

Lokesh Kanagaraj has peaked with his last release, Leo, at the box office. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth ruled box office numbers with Jailer  last  year. Looking at the two powerhouses collaborating Coolie seems like a master move, even in the Hindi belt.

The Hindi teaser of Coolie, in a very classic way, says ‘Phoot le’ in Rajinikanth’s voice as he fights goons in what seems like a total masala film on its way. Hopefully, it will serve golden numbers at the box office as it starts shooting with the announcement teaser.  We guess it’s  too soon to predict anything.

Check out the teaser here.

For updates, stay tuned to Koimoi.

Must Read: Ghilli Re-Release Box Office Day 2: Thalapathy Vijay Is Winning This Kabaddi Match With 50% Higher Collection Than Its Budget!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Coolie

In this Coolie film, Rajinikanth , Ayyappa P Sharma played the primary leads.

Coolie is all set to hit theaters on 31 Oct 2024.

The Coolie was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj

Coolie was made with a budget of 230 crores.

Movies like Aranmanai 4 , Rathnam , Vidaamuyarchi and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Anirudh Ravichander for the movie Coolie.

The cinematography for Coolie was shot by Sathyan Sooryan .

The movie Coolie belonged to the Action,Thriller, genre.

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