Cinema thrives on surprises. A child actor can grow into a leading man and superstars can sometimes fade away. But this time the twist is almost poetic: Hrithik Roshan who once worked with Rajinikanth as a child artist is now competing against the megastar’s latest film. On 14 August Tamil director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie hits theatres. Produced by Sun Pictures the film features a power-packed cast including Rajinikanth Aamir Khan Nagarjuna Shruti Haasan Soubin Shahir Sathyaraj and Upendra. Music is by Anirudh and the film has received an ‘A’ certificate from the censor board. Advance bookings opened on 8 August and within hours tickets for the first four days thanks to Independence Day holidays were nearly sold out. Who’s facing Rajinikanth this time? On the very same day Bollywood’s War 2 directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced under the YRF banner will also release. The sequel stars Hrithik Roshan Jr NTR in a crucial role and Kiara Advani as the leading lady. The first War was a blockbuster so expectations are sky-high for this follow-up. In Tamil Nadu and North India it’s being framed as a Coolie vs War 2 clash. But in Telugu-speaking states the buzz is more about Nagarjuna vs Jr NTR making the competition even more layered. When Hrithik was the kid beside Rajinikanth Social media has been buzzing with a nostalgic twist — back in 1986 Hrithik played a child artist in Bhagwan Dada directed by J. Om Prakash. The Hindi film starred Rajinikanth in the lead alongside Sridevi. Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan acted in and produced the movie giving his son a small but memorable role. In the film Rajinikanth’s character shared a deep emotional bond with Hrithik’s. In one scene Rajini delivered the touching line: “Agar tumhe kuch ho gaya to main sehan nahi kar paunga” (“If something happens to you I won’t be able to bear it”). Clips of this moment are now resurfacing as fans marvel at the full-circle moment in cinema history. Healthy rivalry or Box Office war? Two big releases hitting screens on the same day isn’t new and industry watchers see it as healthy competition. As one fan put it online “Whichever film connects with audiences will win simple.” For now the stage is set one film led by the child who once stood in the shadow of a superstar and another by the superstar himself.