Superstar Rajinikanth’s latest gangster action drama ‘Coolie’, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, was released in theatres on August 14, just a day before Independence Day, and created a storm at the box office. Released with massive hype, the film went head-to-head with the Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR starrer War 2, coming out victorious on Day 1 of this box office battle.Coolie Movie Review
Coolie dominates domestic box office
According to early estimates from trade analyst Sacnilk, Coolie has registered one of the biggest openings ever for a Tamil film. In Tamil Nadu, the movie ruled the roost with an estimated Rs 28–30 crore gross, which is one of the state’s highest-ever day-one figures. Beyond its home base, the film is also pulling in Rs 16–18 crore gross in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Rs 14–15 crore gross in Karnataka, and approximately Rs 10 crore gross in Kerala.Interestingly, ‘Coolie’ also made a strong impact in the Hindi-speaking belt. Outside the South, the Rest of India’s day-one collection is estimated at Rs 7–8 crore gross. Overall, the film amassed a staggering Rs 65 crore on its opening day in India. Overseas, the Rajinikanth starrer is estimated to have collected around Rs 75 crore, pushing its worldwide collection to around Rs 140 crore.
Theatre Occupancy
In Tamil Nadu, Coolie enjoyed an overall 86.99% occupancy on Thursday, with morning shows at 81.95%, afternoons at 85.13%, evenings at 86.57%, and night shows peaking at an impressive 94.32%. In the Hindi belt, Coolie: The Powerhouse clocked an overall 35.66% occupancy, starting at 25.34% in the morning, climbing through the afternoon (31.50%) and evening (30.63%), before hitting 55.18% at night.Telugu markets went all out for Rajinikanth, with the film recording an extraordinary 92.10% occupancy overall, morning shows at 91.25%, afternoon at 93.01%, evening at 89.01%, and night shows touching 95.12%. Karnataka was another stronghold, with Coolie pulling a 71.37% average occupancy, from 58.46% in the morning to 87.20% by night.‘Coolie’ is expected to sustain this momentum through the weekend with the Independence Day holiday boost and overwhelmingly positive audience feedback.The film centers around Devaraj “Deva,” a former coolie union leader who investigates the mysterious death of his friend Rajasekhar. ‘Coolie’ stars Rajinikanth alongside Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, and Aamir Khan in a brief role.DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. While we strive for accuracy, all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the project’s box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions on toientertainment@timesinternet.in.
