Meta references, callbacks, and easter eggs are not new to Tamil cinema. From KS Ravikumar to Kamal Haasan, many actors and directors have toyed with such elements before. However, Lokesh Kanagaraj is the first one in Kollywood to make such easter eggs and references his trademark. From his first film Maanagaram, the director has developed a habit of incorporating callbacks or references to some of his favourite films.
Sandeep Kishan’s role in Maanagaram is obviously inspired by Kamal Haasan’s Sathya. All of Lokesh’s previous ventures Vikram, Leo, Master, and Kaithi invariably had callbacks or references to either old Tamil classics or the movies of the heroes in the film. The title Vikram itself is a tribute to Kamal Haasan’s 1986 film of the same name. The movie also celebrated the lifelong friendship of Haasan and director Santhana Bharathi.
Master teems with such references. Bhavani, the name of Vijay Sethupathi in the film, is a callback to Ram Gopal Varma’s Siva (1989). Sethutpathi’s superpower-like ability to kill anyone with a single punch and the way he develops that skill is an ode to his inspiration Quintin Tarantino and the filmmaker’s Kill Bill.
Enough has been said about all the retro and old songs in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s films that have little to do with the movie but more to do with the director’s taste. Likewise, even in the teaser of Coolie, his upcoming film with Rajinikanth, Lokesh has managed to place a handful of easter eggs.
Sambo Siva Sambo song
Lokesh Kanagaraj is a self-proclaimed Kamal Haasan fan, and in Coolie, a Rajinikanth film, he has made sure to make his idol’s presence felt. All through the teaser, Rajinikanth utters the lines of his iconic song “Sambo Siva Sambo” from the film Ninaithale Inikum (1979), which has Kamal Haasan in the lead role and Rajni in a supporting role. Written by Kannadasan and composed and sung by MS Viswanathan, the song purports a hedonistic life that welcomes all the pleasures of the world. The lines are repeated by Rajinikanth in his film Ranga, in which he plays a thief who redeems himself. In all likelihood, Rajinikanth will be playing a grey character in Coolie as the promo suggests the same.
Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa
Besides “Sambo Siva Sambo”, there’s another song that plays during the fight sequence in the Coolie teaser. If you carefully observe, on top of Anirudh Ravichander’s raging BGM, “Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa” from Rajinikanth’s Thanga Magan is seamlessly blended. What else is more befitting for a sequence that involves a lot of gold? Talk about clever song placement.
Coolie
Any ardent fan of Rajinikanth, who grew up watching his films in the 80s, will know the significance of the name. Before his style took over, the superstar was able to connect with the audience through relatable roles. And he consciously chose to play roles that the masses could relate to. He has played a coolie in many films like Thee, Uzhaipaali, Mannan, and Mullum Malarum.
The coolie badge
In the promo, Rajinikanth is seen wearing a badge on his arm, which is another ode to the film Thee. In Thee, he is seen wearing a badge with the number 786, which is a sacred number among Muslims. Rajinikanth, in most of his films, makes sure there is a Muslim representation. The badge in Thee or Anwar character in Baasha are some of the examples. Venkat Prabhu took a funny dig at the 786 badges in the movie Mankatha, where Premgi’s character is saved by the gunshot in the imaginary sequence of Vinayak Mahadev (Ajith Kumar).
Fans have also noted how the Vikram promo had Kamal Haasan go, “Aarambikalamaa (Let’s begin?)”, and in the Coolie teaser, Rajinikanth says, “Mudichudlamaa (Let’s end it).” The Rolex watches in the promotional material of Coolie have been a topic of discussion as fans wonder if Coolie is part of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s cinematic universe. However, Lokesh has said that it is a standalone film and has no relation to LCU. Yet, fans are still hoping to see all the biggest stars of Tamil cinema in a single frame.
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