Rajinikanth’s latest blockbuster Coolie is rewriting box office history, smashing past ₹300 crore worldwide in just three days and outpacing his previous hit Vettaiyan.
Coolie’s Opening Weekend Box Office Run
Released on August 14, just before the long Independence Day weekend, Coolie faced stiff competition from Hrithik Roshan’s War 2. Yet, the Rajinikanth-starrer held its ground strongly in both India and international markets.
- Day 1 (Thursday): ₹65 crore nett in India
- Day 2 (Friday): ₹54.75 crore nett
- Day 3 (Saturday): ₹38.5 crore nett (early estimates)
This brings the film’s India total to ₹158.25 crore nett in just three days, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Fastest Tamil Film to Cross ₹300 Crore Worldwide
Trade analyst Sumit Kadel confirmed that Coolie’s worldwide earnings stand between ₹320-325 crore, making it the fastest Tamil film ever to breach the ₹300 crore milestone.
In Tamil Nadu, the film maintained an overall occupancy of 65.99% on Day 3, with cities like:
- Chennai: 88.75%
- Coimbatore: 83.75%
- Pondicherry: 86.50%
- Trichy: 89%
Night shows peaked at 79.71%, proving Rajinikanth’s pull at the ticket windows remains unmatched.
Records Broken: Vettaiyan, Leo and More
With its massive three day haul, Coolie has already surpassed the lifetime earnings of Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan (₹146.89 crore). The film has also:
- Outperformed Ajith’s Good Bad Ugly (₹180 crore)
- Beaten the ₹265 crore global collection of Mohanlal and Prithviraj’s L2: Empuraan
In France, Coolie created history by selling 8,800 tickets on its opening day, breaking Vijay’s Leo record of 8,500 tickets. The film is also performing exceptionally well in Singapore, UAE, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and North America.
Star Cast and Hindi Version Performance
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie features Rajinikanth, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, and Soubin Shahir, with a surprise cameo by Aamir Khan.
The Hindi dubbed version, Coolie: The Powerhouse, registered a 38.99% occupancy on Saturday, with strong turnout in Mumbai (43.50%) and Pune (45%).
The ₹600 Crore Target
Having already rewritten several box office records, Coolie is now eyeing the ₹600 crore club, a feat achieved by only three other Tamil blockbusters 2.0, Jailer, and Leo.
If its momentum continues, Rajinikanth’s Coolie could very well emerge as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time.
