In the relentless pursuit of the “Pan-India” blockbuster, two of the year’s most anticipated films, Coolie and War 2, have delivered a cautionary tale. Marketed as monumental cinematic events, both projects have instead exposed the creative pitfalls of a filmmaking model obsessed with scale over substance. By prioritising an endless barrage of plot twists, star-studded cameos, and sprawling set pieces, the films lose sight of a coherent narrative and emotional core, ultimately feeling more like bloated vanity projects than compelling stories. They stand as prime examples of how the ambition to appeal to everyone can result in films that connect with no one.
Contrary to what one might expect from large-scale action films, the primary issue in Coolie and War 2 is not a lack of plot, but an overabundance of it. Both screenplays are relentlessly crowded, flinging new characters, backstories, and conflicts at the audience with little room to breathe. The narrative structure in each film follows a similar pattern: a conflict is established, followed by a major interval twist designed to raise the stakes. However, the second halves abandon this momentum, essentially rebooting the story with a fresh set of motivations and facile turns. This constant need to escalate creates the illusion of high stakes, but the frantic pacing prevents any single plot point from landing with genuine impact. The result is a narrative that feels dense but not deep, mistaking constant motion for meaningful development.
This restless filmmaking style comes at a significant cost to character development. The relentless focus on spectacle leaves no space for quiet moments that build believable relationships. In Coolie, the supposed bond between the protagonist Deva (Rajinikanth) and his makeshift family of coolies is stated but never truly felt. Similarly, the central friendship and rivalry between Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) and Vikram (Jr. NTR) in War 2 is stripped of its potential emotional weight. The supporting characters, particularly the female leads, are reduced to token roles, while the villains lack any intimidating presence. Without a foundation of relatable human connection, the explosive action sequences become hollow exercises in style, devoid of any real tension or emotional investment.
Buried beneath the glossy exterior of both films are strong, simple emotional ideas that could have anchored powerful stories. Coolie contains the kernel of a classic drama about a man scarred by his past, fiercely protective of his community—a theme with the potential for righteous, character-driven anger. War 2 presents a compelling, 70s-style masala rivalry between two friends from different sides of the tracks, a premise rich with the potential for exploring themes of privilege, loyalty, and betrayal. However, these potent emotional cores are never fully realized. Instead, they are swallowed whole by the demands of the spy-action genre and the relentless need to engineer another “moment,” sacrificing narrative coherence for fleeting highlights.
Ultimately, Coolie and War 2 reveal a troubling trend in mainstream cinema where scale has become a substitute for quality. The goal seems to be the creation of a product engineered for mass appeal, stitching together elements designed to capture every possible demographic and market. This approach leads to self-replicating films that prioritize spectacle over storytelling, chasing a hollow buzzword—"Pan-India"—without understanding the narrative discipline required to make large-scale cinema resonate. By trading meaning for moments, these films offer a clear warning about the diminishing returns of a cinema built on spectacle alone.
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