Raja lives with his elder brother, sister-in-law, and their little daughter. Rajabecomes a coolie and transports articles. He is jailed for smuggling. His brother gets into an accident at work at the mill and loses his arms. He loses his job and needs money for treatment. Raja begs his brother's boss , but he refuses. Raja breaks into the boss' safe to get the money but it is too late as the brother dies. The boss throws Raja in jail. How he escapes and gets his revenge on the boss forms the climax of the movie
Acting
Vijayakanth's raw, physical grief-to-rage transformation
Stunts
Practical fight sequences before wires took over
Production
Mill-town authenticity in industrial Tamil Nadu setting
Director
Rajashekar
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Coolikkaran arrived during Vijayakanth's rise as the 'Captain' of working-class hero roles, cementing his image before his political pivot. The mill setting reflects real 1980s Tamil Nadu labor struggles.
The 'gold car' smuggling subplot was reportedly added after principal photography to capitalize on a real customs scandal making headlines. Director Rajashekar allegedly shot these scenes in five days.
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