Superstar Rajinikanth’s new release, Coolie, helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, received thumping response at the box office on its opening, which is their first association together. Released on August 14, a day prior to Independence Day, the film managed to rake in the long weekend and soon marked new milestones both locally and internationally. But like most mass entertainers, Coolie too has seen a dramatic decline in collections post-opening weekend.
Box Office Performance: Strong Opening, Weekday Lull
According to industry monitor Sacnilk, Coolie raked in Rs 9.5 crore on day six, which was a significant fall from the Rs 12 crore it earned on Monday. The Monday number itself was a 65% drop compared to the weekend’s top collections. Nevertheless, the film crossed the Rs 200 crore mark locally, and its worldwide collection has crossed Rs 410 crore, going past its supposed budget of Rs 350–400 crore.
The major revenues of the film still keep coming from Tamil Nadu, while the Hindi dubbed version too has brought in decently. Nevertheless, Karnataka and the Telugu-speaking states have witnessed lukewarm support. If the momentum continues, Coolie is heading to become a possible replacement for Rajinikanth’s 2023 blockbuster Jailer, which earned more Rs 600 crore worldwide.
War 2 and Mixed Reviews Competition
Coolie made its entry along with War 2, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, which was also slated to take over the box office. War 2’s performance has been disappointing in comparison, raking in Rs 8.2 crore on its sixth day and still short of the Rs 200 crore mark at home.
Even with the stellar numbers, Coolie has not been uniformly received. While Rajinikanth’s devout fans hailed the film, mainstream audiences and critics felt it was lacking in the depth and ingenuity one could expect from a Lokesh Kanagaraj effort. Cameos by A-listers Aamir Khan and Nagarjuna and an offbeat turn by Soubin Sahir were attempts to create a ‘pan-India’ appeal, though some thought it was at the expense of the ‘Superstar’s mass base.”.
What’s Next for Rajinikanth
After Coolie, Rajinikanth will be back in Jailer 2, the sequel to his blockbuster 2023 release, pairing up once again with director Nelson Dilipkumar. As fans await his next, Coolie is still running in theaters, looking to establish itself among the year’s highest-grossing Indian films.