Coolie Box Office Run: Rajinikanth’s Record-Breaking Opener Faces a Sharp Decline
Rajinikanth’s Coolie opened with record-breaking numbers but witnessed a sharp decline within a week. Despite being his highest opener, mixed reviews and competition from War 2 slowed its box office momentum.
New Delhi: Rajnikanth’s Coolie has completed its first week at the box office, gathering total domestic revenue of Rs 222.5 crore across languages. The film’s trajectory has been both meteoric and erratic.
Box Office Performance
On Wednesday, Coolie earned Rs 6.50 crore across all markets, a steep drop compared to Thursday’s Rs 9.5 crore. The Tamil version, which initially soared, is witnessing a notable slump. The Hindi edition, too, has not shown robust growth in its debut week.
Released on the eve of Independence Day, the film opened with thunderous numbers, Rs 65 crore on day one, including Rs 44.5 crore in Tamil alone. On day two, it collected Rs 54.75 crore at the domestic box office. However, mixed feedback and fluctuating zeitgeist appeal have seemingly affected its stability over the weekend.
By Saturday, the film managed Rs 39.5 crore across languages. Despite the slowdown, Coolie still stands as Rajinikanth’s highest opening film ever. Yet, it missed the crown of Tamil cinema’s top opener, which remains with Lokesh Kanagaraj and Vijay’s Leo, which had an opening of Rs 66 crore.
About the Film
Helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj Coolie marks the superstar’s 171st cinematic journey. The ensemble includes Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Sathyaraj, while Aamir Khan makes a cameo appearance. The film is bankrolled by Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Pictures.
Film critic Saibal Chatterjee, in his review for NDTV, gave it 3 out of 5 stars. He wrote, “Coolie plays out in a man’s world. The likes of Preethi, notwithstanding the amount of screen time she has, are only of secondary importance. So is everybody else in the film, and that includes the writer-director himself. It is Rajinikanth, the star, and Deva, the character, who call the shots all the way through. Should anybody be complaining?”
Competition and Challenges
Coolie is currently in a tussle with War 2, led by Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. Both high-profile releases have underperformed compared to expectations. While Rajinikanth’s film had a spectacular start, sustaining momentum in the kinetic box office landscape is proving to be a challenge.
Even so, Coolie has managed to spark conversations across cinephiles with its verve, panache, and Rajinikanth’s gravitas, though commercial consistency remains elusive. Its journey ahead will decide whether it consolidates into a blockbuster or remains remembered as an impressive yet fugacious spectacle.
