Rajinikanth’s Coolie crosses ₹281 crore, outshines War 2

Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth’s action drama Coolie continues to draw audiences even in its third week, maintaining its dominance at the box office. Released on August 14, the film has crossed the ₹281 crore mark in India after 20 days, leaving Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s big-budget War 2 trailing behind.

Box office journey so far

According to early estimates from Sacnilk, Coolie collected ₹1.10 crore on Tuesday (Day 20), keeping its total India net earnings at ₹281.30 crore.

• Opening day (Day 1): ₹65 crore

The third weekend brought a small surge, with ₹2.8 crore on Saturday and ₹3.1 crore on Sunday. However, weekdays have slowed momentum, with collections dipping to around ₹1.1 crore on both Monday and Tuesday.

Occupancy levels

On Day 20, Coolie registered mixed occupancy across versions:

• Tamil: 15%

‘War 2’ falls behind

Released alongside Coolie on August 14, Siddharth Anand’s spy thriller War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani, started strong but has since struggled to keep pace. On Day 20, the film collected only ₹65 lakh, bringing its total to ₹235.55 crore, significantly lower than Coolie’s ₹281.30 crore.

The film and its star-studded cast

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie follows Deva (Rajinikanth), a former coolie union leader turned philanthropist, whose peaceful life is shattered by the mysterious death of his close friend (Sathyaraj). The film blends social drama with high-octane action, offering fans vintage Rajinikanth moments.

The ensemble cast includes Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, and Aamir Khan in a key role.

What’s next?

While Coolie has shown strong staying power, the coming weeks will test its momentum as fresh September releases hit theatres. Rajinikanth’s last film, Vettaiyan, also enjoyed commercial success, and with Coolie, the superstar proves yet again that Thalaivar remains a box office force to reckon with.