The much-anticipated box office clash between Coolie and War 2 kicked off with fireworks, but it was the Rajinikanth-led Coolie that emerged as the clear winner on opening day, both in India and internationally. Despite mixed reviews for both films, the Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial soared at the ticket counters, driven by Rajinikanth’s unparalleled star power and record-breaking advance bookings.
According to a report by Sacnilk , Coolie raked in a staggering Rs 170 crore worldwide on its first day, marking a historic opening for Tamil cinema. This includes approximately Rs 80 crore gross in India and Rs 90 crore from overseas markets across all language versions, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada. It is now Rajinikanth’s biggest-ever domestic opening.
In contrast, War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, fell short of expectations. Despite releasing on over 5,000 screens across India, the spy actioner collected around Rs 65 crore domestically on day one, with the original Hindi version contributing just Rs 29 crore net. Globally, the film managed approximately Rs 85 crore gross, respectable, but significantly behind its southern counterpart.
While War 2 is witnessing a boost in collections on its second day owing to the Independence Day holiday and stronger audience ratings, the early lead belongs firmly to Coolie. Whether War 2 can sustain its momentum beyond the holiday remains to be seen, but for now, Rajinikanth has once again proven why he remains one of Indian cinema’s most bankable stars.