Rajinikanth’s latest film, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, opened to a phenomenal response when it hit theatres on the eve of Independence Day. On its opening day (August 14), the movie collected ₹65 crore across all languages, with the Tamil version alone contributing ₹44.5 crore.
Weekend Collection Trends and Record Setting
Coolie maintained impressive momentum over the weekend despite receiving mixed reviews. The film earned ₹54.75 crore on Day 2, followed by ₹39.5 crore on Saturday and a strong ₹35 crore on Sunday, with ₹23 crore from the Tamil version and ₹4.75 crore from the Hindi belt.
These figures made Coolie Rajinikanth’s highest opener ever and one of the fastest films to surpass ₹200 crore. However, it narrowly missed breaking the all-time highest opening for Tamil cinema, a record still held by Vijay’s Leo.
Significant Drop on First Monday
Industry trackers report that on its first Monday (Day 5), Coolie saw a notable decline in collections, earning ₹12 crore across all languages. The drop in weekday numbers hints at slightly subdued word-of-mouth momentum after the festive rush.
About the Film
Coolie marks Rajinikanth’s 171st film and features a star-studded cast including Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and Sathyaraj, with Aamir Khan in a cameo. The film is produced by Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Pictures.
Critical Reception
According to NDTV’s Saibal Chatterjee, who rated the movie 3 out of 5 stars, “Coolie plays out in a man’s world… It is Rajinikanth the star and Deva the character who call the shots all the way through. Should anybody be complaining?” The mixed reviews may have contributed to the film’s rapid momentum drop after the weekend.
Competition at the Box Office
Despite the Monday slowdown, Coolie is currently running ahead of the recent release War 2 starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, which also hit cinemas on August 14.
