Rajinikanth’s latest release, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has made a staggering impact at the box office, grossing approximately ₹150 crore worldwide on its opening day. This marks the biggest-ever global opening for a Tamil film and one of the most significant debuts in Indian cinema history.

In India, the film collected a net total of around ₹65 crore on its first day across all languages, setting a new benchmark for the superstar’s career. The regional breakdown, as reported by trade sources including Sacnilk, is as follows:

  • Tamil Nadu: ₹28–30 crore
  • Andhra Pradesh/Telangana: ₹16–18 crore
  • Karnataka: ₹14–15 crore
  • Kerala: ₹10 crore
  • North India: ₹2 crore (approximately)
  • Overseas markets: ₹75 crore (approximately)

Advance bookings for Coolie were extraordinary. The film sold over 12 lakh tickets on its opening day and reportedly crossed ₹100 crore in pre-sales alone, highlighting the immense anticipation and fanfare surrounding its release.

Outperformed War 2 as well as previous LCU films

Despite sharing its release date with the high-profile War 2 starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, Coolie outperformed it by a considerable margin. War 2, which opened to mixed reviews, managed to earn ₹52 crore on its first day.

Coolie also surpasses several other films within the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). Kanagaraj’s previous directorial, Kaithi, collected ₹6.4 crore on its opening day, while Vikram, starring Kamal Haasan, opened to ₹37.5 crore. The only LCU film that registered a higher Indian day-one gross was Leo, which managed ₹76.2 crore and went on to gross ₹341 crore in total. While Coolie has not exceeded Leo domestically, its worldwide gross is being hailed as a landmark for Tamil cinema.

The film also significantly outshines Rajinikanth’s previous releases. His 2023 blockbuster Jailer earned ₹48.35 crore on day one, while Vettaiyan made ₹31.5 crore, 2.0 grossed ₹23 crore, and Petta brought in ₹14 crore on its opening day. Coolie has outperformed each of these, reaffirming Rajinikanth’s standing as a pan-India superstar with enduring box office appeal.

The release of Coolie coincides with the 50th anniversary of Rajinikanth’s film career, adding further significance to its commercial success. The film features an ensemble cast, including Aamir Khan, Sathyaraj, Nagarjuna, Upendra, and Soubin Shahir, which has contributed to its widespread appeal across regions and languages.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film has proven to be critic-proof. The combination of high-octane action, nostalgic storytelling, and strong star power has turned it into a major box office event. With the Independence Day weekend still underway, industry experts anticipate that Coolie will continue to dominate cinemas and may soon be counted among the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time.