Music composer Anirudh has long been adored not just for his energetic soundtracks but also for a quirky trend that endeared him to fans. Before a film’s release, he would post emojis on social media as a cryptic sign of support or excitement. What started as playful engagement soon turned into a fan-fueled superstition, especially after the Jailer phenomenon.
This trend began with Jailer, starring Rajinikanth, who was then in desperate need of a blockbuster. When the film became a massive hit, fans linked its success to Anirudh’s fire emoji tweet. What followed was a flood of requests from producers urging him to do the same for their films, hoping the emoji would create buzz and box office luck. But when some of those films underperformed, blame shifted toward the emoji hype itself.
In a recent interview, Anirudh revealed he has now chosen to step away from the emoji practice. What started as fun became a responsibility he no longer enjoyed—especially when he felt pressured to promote films he didn’t truly believe in. He explained that the emoji posts began to harm his image and dilute their original charm.
“I stopped putting emojis. I know some films will fail. If I put an emoji for that, it will be wrong. For Jailer, I really felt it and posted, but it backfired. I had to put emojis for all films. But Coolie came out superb. I am giving the fire emoji here,” he said.
Fans noticed that his recent tweets for films like Indian 2, Vettaiyan, and Vidae Muyarchi lacked the usual buzz. The emoji posts, once viewed as lucky signals, started to feel mechanical. During a pre-release event, Anirudh addressed this, saying that a genuinely good film does not need emoji-driven hype. Still, he affirmed that Coolie, starring Rajinikanth, would not just meet expectations—it would exceed them.
While Anirudh hasn’t delivered a major box office smash in recent times, Coolie could mark a turning point. The film’s songs have received positive feedback, though the trailer’s background score drew mixed reactions. Audiences now await the full feature to see if it connects more deeply and delivers the comeback moment Anirudh fans are rooting for.
The film is set to clash with War 2 at the box office on August 14, creating a high-stakes showdown. Yet, Coolie currently leads in pre-release buzz. If word-of-mouth turns favorable, it might just overpower the competition and give Anirudh the hit he’s been chasing.
