BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 22 - Yash Raj Films' much-hyped spy action thriller War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, has been underwhelming at the box office so far, with a disappointing first-week collection of around 315 crores worldwide. Ideally, the movie should have done this business or probably more in the opening weekend itself, but poor reviews and mixed word of mouth proved fatal. With no sign of rebound, Ayan Mukerji's directorial is heading towards emerging as a loss venture for YRF. As per trade estimates, the film will end up with around 50 crores in losses for the studio. Given the huge production costs and how the film has performed at the box office, the losses could have been higher, but the makers recovered most of it from the non-theatrical rights. According to reports, War 2's digital rights have been sold for 150 crores, while satellite rights brought 50 crores, and music rights brought 25 crores in revenue for YRF. The total non-theatrical revenue of around 225 crores has helped the studio to bring down the losses. The movie was reportedly made on a budget of over 400 crores, as the costliest film in the YRF Spy Universe. This includes the salaries of Jr. NTR (60 crores), Hrithik Roshan (35 crores), Ayan Mukerji (25 crores), and Kiara Advani (10 crores). Directed by Ayan Mukerji, War 2 is the 6th film in the Spy Universe, and the sequel to 2019's blockbuster War. It stars Telugu superstar Jr. NTR in his Bollywood debut, alongside Hrithik Roshan, who reprises his role from the first film, Kiara Advani and Anil Kapoor. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 21 - The Tamil box office once again has its say in the battle between two superstars — Rajinikanth and Thalapathy Vijay. While both Coolie and Leo opened to massive numbers, the difference in their trajectory after the opening weekend has sparked an interesting comparison. ## Rajinikanth's Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stormed the global box office with a big 385 crore gross in its 4-day extended opening weekend. However, the film's momentum slowed in the following weekdays, with its 8-day first-week total reaching around 440 crore worldwide, adding just around 55 crores from Monday to Thursday. ## On the other hand, Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, also directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, had the opening weekend of 356.50 crores, but unlike Coolie, the movie remained solid in the post-weekend first week, adding another 120 crores gross worldwide from Monday to Thursday, for around 477 crores gross first week collection. ## The word of mouth for both films was mixed, with slightly better for Leo, but still, the Thalapathy Vijay-starrer scored more than 2x of Coolie from Monday to Thursday, despite losing the opening weekend race to win the week. Leo, which was behind Coolie by around 30 crores gross after the opening weekend, leads by around 27 crores after the first week. ## The comparison highlights how post-weekend word-of-mouth and audience reception can define a film's box office journey. It also shows which of Rajinikanth and Vijay has a greater influence over the audience, given their similar reception. But one has to admire the longevity of superstar Rajinikanth, who, at the age of 75, is ruling the box office like any other superstar at their peak. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 21 - The Tamil box office is once again witnessing an intense battle between two superstars — Rajinikanth and Thalapathy Vijay. While both Coolie and Leo opened to massive numbers, the difference in their trajectory after the opening weekend has sparked an interesting comparison. ## Rajinikanth's Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stormed the global box office with a big 385 crore gross in its 4-day extended opening weekend. However, the film's momentum slowed in the following weekdays, with its 8-day first-week total reaching around 440 crore worldwide, adding just around 55 crores from Monday to Thursday.## On the other hand, Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, also directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, had the opening weekend of 356.50 crores, but unlike Coolie, the movie remained solid in the post-weekend first week, adding another 120 crores gross worldwide from Monday to Thursday, for around 477 crores gross first week collection.## The word of mouth for both films was mixed, with slightly better for Leo, but still, the Thalapathy Vijay-starrer scored more than 2x of Coolie from Monday to Thursday, despite losing the opening weekend race to win the week. Leo, which was behind Coolie by around 30 crores gross after the opening weekend, leads by around 27 crores after the first week.## The comparison highlights how post-weekend word-of-mouth and audience reception can define a film's box office journey. It also shows which of Rajinikanth and Vijay has a greater influence over the audience, given their similar reception. But one has to admire the longevity of superstar Rajinikanth, who, at the age of 75, is ruling the box office like any other superstar at their peak. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 21 - In the contrasting turn of events, Thalapathy Vijay's Leo is set to remain the biggest opening week grosser of Tamil cinema, a title which was threatened to be taken by superstar Rajinikanth's latest blockbuster Coolie. Both films registered historic collections, but their trajectories highlight the difference in audience pull during the weekend and week numbers. ## In the opening weekend, Rajinikanth's Coolie took a clear lead by emerging as the biggest Tamil weekend grosser, with approximately 385 crore, edging past Leo's 356.50 crore opening weekend. The Superstar's mass appeal and festive holiday advantage ensured a record-breaking start despite mixed reviews. ## However, the equation shifted over the first full week, where things have taken a drastic turn. After the record opening weekend, Coolie fell sharply during the weekdays, as its first 7 days collection is around 430 crores gross worldwide. On the other hand, Leo showcased better consistency with solid holds, collecting approximately 464 crore worldwide in the same span. ## ## The strong weekday hold allowed Vijay's film to claim the biggest Tamil first-week grosser of all time. Even with the extended 8-day opening week run, Leo maintained its edge with 476 crore, outpacing Coolie, which is expected to be around 440 crores 8-day haul worldwide. ## Trade experts believe this pattern reinforces a long-observed trend: Rajinikanth films ignite explosive openings, while Vijay’s recent outings have demonstrated stronger weekday legs. Ultimately, both Coolie and Leo have cemented their place in box office history, but the battle will be remembered as a weekend win for Rajinikanth and a week-long triumph for Thalapathy Vijay. ## Note: Rajinikanth's 2.0's numbers are not considered in this article, as there were a lot of discrepancies regarding the film's South Indian language collection. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 20 - The much-hyped Independence Day weekend releases War 2 and Coolie were supposed to become the biggest box office clash of the decade of Indian cinema, but it turned out to be a wonderless show, where there was nothing magical as was anticipated. Both films were star-studded with top stars across industries coming on board. Both War 2 and Coolie were designed as grand North-South collaborations, promising to redefine the meaning of pan-India cinema. Rajinikanth-fronted Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, roped in Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan for a cameo to boost its chances in the Hindi market. Similarly, War 2 paired Bollywood's action icon Hrithik Roshan with Telugu superstar Jr. NTR, in what was marketed as one of the most ambitious crossovers ever attempted in Indian cinema. However, both films have fallen short of expectations as a whole, especially in those markets where the makers tried to steal gold. In the case of Coolie, Aamir Khan's surprise cameo was promoted as a masterstroke to expand the film's reach in the North, and there was a lot of noise on social media regarding the same. But despite initial curiosity, the cameo added little value to the film's performance in the Hindi-speaking markets, which remained lukewarm after the opening weekend. Reviews noted that Aamir's limited presence felt underutilised, and the cameo failed to translate into sustained box office gains outside Tamil Nadu. In Hindi, the movie is headed for mid-thirty crores net, which is not the result the makers would have hoped for. The final can also be attributed to Rajinikanth and Lokesh, who have some appeal in Hindi. While Aamir's presence didn't bring much to Coolie, it was disastrous for Yash Raj Films, which teamed with the Telugu superstar Jr. NTR in a full-fledged parallel lead in War 2, introducing him to a larger Hindi audience while giving the film strong traction in the South. Unfortunately, the result was far from what the makers envisioned, or it can be said that the box office numbers were disastrous. While the Hrithik-NTR combination had the potential to ignite fireworks, mixed word-of-mouth and an uninspiring narrative led to a steep decline after its initial surge. Even taking mixed reception out of the equation, War 2's performance in South Indian states is nothing short of shocking. In the South, where Jr. NTR is a megastar with a massive fan following, War 2 failed miserably, with the final collection will be less than a hundred crores gross outside the Hindi belt in India. The blame can be put on negative reviews and mixed audience reception, but this is not the first time that the films of these stars opened with such a reception. Jr. NTR's last film, Devara, didn't get favourable reviews, but still went on to become a box office hit with over 400 crores worldwide. Likewise, Aamir Khan's poorly received films used to do decent business. But this time, both stars failed to bring the audience to the strong markets, which will make the filmmakers think about cross-industry collaboration. Coolie's performance in the Hindi market is still understandable; Tamil cinema doesn't have much pull here, and cameos don't matter much as far as box office results are concerned. But War 2's results in Southern markets, especially in Telugu, despite Jr. NTR's full-fledged role, will make the filmmakers rethink their strategy regarding cross-industry collaboration. Ultimately, War 2 and Coolie highlight the limitations of North-South collaborations when they are driven more by marketing optics than by creative synergy. Both films generated massive anticipation on social media with their cross-industry appeal, but delivered little to shocking in terms of box office results. Their underwhelming performance proves that the future of pan-India cinema won't be defined by cameos or debuts, but by universal storytelling that truly connects audiences across linguistic and cultural divides. Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 20 - Superstar Rajinikanth and director Lokesh Kanagaraj's much-hyped collaboration Coolie ignited hope of emerging biggest Tamil grosser of all-time, after the record numbers during the extended Independence Day weekend. The film set social media abuzz and drew massive crowds, cementing Rajinikanth's dominance at the box office yet again. ## But as they say, all that glitters is not gold, and that's what's happening with Coolie. Despite the spectacular start, the film is now showing signs of slowing down. With big drops during weekdays, it makes it almost impossible for the film to challenge the all-time Tamil box office record grosser, which is Rajinikanth's own hit 2 Point 0, which itself underperformed. ## The gangster action drama, after the record weekend of 385 crores worldwide, has dropped heavily on the first two working days with a combined total of around 33-35 crores worldwide. After 6 days, the film's total collection stands at around 418-420 crores worldwide, which could have easily been around 450 crores with a positive reception, which it did not have. ## Industry trackers, who were predicting Coolie to become the biggest Tamil grosser before release, suggest that it may wrap up its global run under 550 crore. It might stretch its total a little higher, but for that, the film has to show solid legs, which don't seem to be happening with the current trend. While 500 crores worldwide is still a big milestone, Coolie will fall short of the expectations, which is disappointing. ## Trade analysts note that after its historic opening, collections in certain overseas territories and the Hindi belt have not been as strong as expected, which has capped its long-term potential. In North America, where the movie had a huge weekend, the weekdays' collection dropped drastically, even below Hrithik Roshan Jr. NTR's War, which had an underwhelming run there so far. ## That said, Coolie has already achieved several milestones. It became the fastest Tamil film to cross the 100 crores, 200 crores, and 300 crores mark worldwide, apart from becoming the biggest Tamil opener and weekend grosser of all time. The movie also reinforced Rajinikanth's unmatched star power, as he continues to deliver films that not only perform in India but also create a stir in international markets. ## In conclusion, Coolie, despite the early promises, will not create the history, everyone thought it would. While it will still be among the top 5 biggest Tamil grossers of all time, the movie will end up as a flop or an average affair at the box office. The onus is now on Rajinikanth's next, which is the highly-awaited Jailer 2, to do the unfinished job. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 20 - In an era where the box office has become highly unpredictable, who would have thought that an animated movie, which opened to just around 2 crores, would not only go on to become the biggest animated film of all-time, but also one of the biggest blockbusters of Indian cinema. ## The epic devotional action drama Mahavatar Narsimha is one such rare film, which has turned out to be a historic success at the global box office. Despite being an animated feature, a genre which has largely remained unexplored in India, the film has managed to strike a chord with audiences of all ages, combining state-of-the-art visuals with a deeply rooted Indian story. ## In India, the movie has demonstrated incredible staying power across multiplexes and family audiences, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where devotional subjects hold strong appeal. Overseas, too, Mahavatar Narsimha has seen a solid response, particularly in markets with a large Indian diaspora such as North America and Australia. ## Produced by Kaleem Productions in association with Hombale Films, Mahavatar Narsimha is about to do the unthinkable by achieving a milestone no one had thought in their wildest dreams, that is, topping the 300 crore worldwide gross, a rare first for an Indian animated title. As of now, the movie has grossed around 280 crores globally in 26 days, and will be crossing the milestone in the next week.## The scale of its success has also opened new doors for Indian animation. For the filmmakers of the country, this is a signal that audiences are ready to embrace animation as a mainstream medium when combined with powerful storytelling and cultural resonance. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 19 - The year 2025 has been full of surprises at the Indian box office, and there are still five months left. Amid the frenzy of big-budget spectacles in 2025, a group of low to mid budget budget films stunned everyone by not only becoming critical successes but also box office winners. These films, spanning multiple languages and genres, didn't have the advantage of huge star power or massive marketing campaigns. Instead, they relied on storytelling, originality, and strong word-of-mouth to win hearts. Saiyaara (Hindi – Romantic Drama) - No one expected a debutant-led love story to become the biggest romantic hit in years, but Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda's chemistry, Mohit Suri's direction, and Mithoon's soulful music turned Saiyaara into a cultural phenomenon. Made on a budget of around 60 crores, the movie started strongly and exploded eventually as the week progressed, becoming the first Hindi romantic film to cross 300 crores net. Mahavatar Narsimha (Hindi – Animated Devotional Action Drama) - An animated retelling of the Narsimha avatar from the Puranas, Mahavatar Narsimha emerged as a surprise family favourite. Released with little hype and almost zero expectations, it tapped into the growing demand for Indian devotional content. Made on a budget of around 5-10 crores, the film's strong visuals and devotional storytelling led it to cross the 100 crore mark in just 10 days, making it the first Indian animated movie to achieve the feat. Dragon (Tamil – Coming-of-age Comedy Drama) - Starring Pradeep Ranganathan, Dragon is the biggest Tamil blockbuster of the year. It is a story about a college dropout who deceptively secures a high-paying job, but is forced to accept a major challenge to avoid being exposed. Made on a budget of around 20 crores, the movie went on to gross around 120 crores in India, as one of the highest-grossing Tamil titles of the year. Tourist Family (Tamil – Comedy Drama) - It is being hailed as one of the most heartwarming stories of the year. The story follows a Sri Lankan Tamil family who, following the Sri Lankan economic crisis, arrive in India in search of a better future. It was made on a budget of around 5 crores, and went on to gross over 70 crores in India, and became a big blockbuster. Here's a Look at The Top Sleeper Hits of 2025 That Conquered The Indian Box Office (As of August 18)Movie TitleOriginal LanguageBudgetIndia GBOCVerdictSaiyaaraHindi₹ 60.00 Cr₹ 391.00 CrSuper BlockbusterMahavatar NarsimhaHindi₹ 10.00 Cr₹ 253.00 CrBlockbuster Dragon Tamil₹ 20.00 Cr₹ 119.00 CrBlockbusterTourist FamilyTamil₹ 5.00 Cr₹ 71.75 CrBlockbusterSu From SoKannada₹ 4.00 Cr₹ 92.00 CrBlockbusterThalaivan ThalaiviiTamil₹ 25.00 Cr₹ 66.00 CrSuperhitAlappuzha GymkhanaMalayalam₹ 10.00 Cr₹ 50.60 CrSuperhitF1 MovieEnglish₹ - Cr₹ 120.00 CrSuperhit Su From So (Kannada – Comedy Drama) - Set in the coastal village of Marlur linked to Someshwara, the story follows Ashoka, a carefree young man whose innocent crush spirals into rumours of possession by a ghost named Sulochana, upending village life through a cascade of comedic supernatural events. It is already the highest-grossing Kannada movie of the year with a domestic gross collection of over 50 crores, against the budget of around 4 crores. Thalaivan Thalaivii (Tamil – Romantic Action Comedy) - Starring Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen, the film became another modest-budgeted Tamil box office hit of the year. It reportedly cost 25 crores the make, and it has already grossed around 60 crores domestically and is still going strong. Alappuzha Gymkhana (Malayalam – Sports Drama) - Directed by Khalid Rahman and starring Naslen among others, it is a story of a group of students, who, after failing exams, try entering college through sports quotas, picking boxing. They luck through district matches, but face uncertainty at higher competition levels. It was a success at the box office, grossing over 50 crores in India, against the budget of around 10 crores. F1 (Hollywood – Sports Drama) - Brad Pitt's F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski (of Top Gun: Maverick fame), was expected to perform well globally — but what surprised trade analysts was its exceptional run in India. Despite being a niche sports film centred on Formula 1 racing, F1 resonated with Indian audiences, thanks to sleek visuals, thrilling race sequences, and Brad Pitt's enduring star power. It grossed around 115 crores in India, emerging as one of the highest-grossing original Hollywood films. Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 31 - 2025 has turned into a good year so far for Indian films in the overseas market, with movies from the Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam industries making a splash at the global box office. From grand romantic sagas to star-powered action blockbusters, audiences across the world have embraced Indian cinema like never before. Sun Pictures' gangster action drama, Coolie, starring superstar Rajinikanth, was released on August 14, and within no time, it has stormed to the top spot among the biggest Indian grossers at the overseas box office. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film is yet to complete its first weekend, already grossing over 150 crores overseas in 5 days. Yash Raj Films' romantic drama, Saiyaara, starring debutante Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda, became a global sensation. This has been the biggest success story of Indian cinema this year. Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara blended soulful music, passionate storytelling, and stunning visuals, making it a cross-cultural hit. The film's theme connected not only with Indian audiences but across the world, making it the biggest Indian blockbuster in the international market. The Malayalam megahit, Empuraan, starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, was hit by controversy in India, but that didn't stop it from making a big hit at the box office, not just in India but also internationally. It continued the Lucifer saga with high-octane political intrigue and action. The film’s international fan base, built from the first part, turned Empuraan into a global blockbuster. Thudarum, one of the biggest Malayalam blockbusters in recent times, stunned the trade and went on to score big at the box office. The action thriller, starring Mohanlal, did wonders globally and became one of only three Malayalam titles to cross 200 crores worldwide, including close to 100 crores gross from overseas markets. The historical epic, Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, impressed both domestic and global audiences and is currently the biggest Indian grosser worldwide with over 800 crores in collection. This Laxman Utekar's directorial's grand battle sequences, rich production design, and a patriotic storyline drove its stellar overseas run with close to 100 crores gross. Housefull 5, Bollywood's favourite comedy franchise, returned bigger and zanier. Despite the disappointment of not living up to expectations, this Akshay Kumar-led film did decently at the box office and is so far among the top overseas grossers. The film's mixed slapstick humour, exotic locations, and star power captured the attention of family audiences abroad, especially in the Gulf and the UK. Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, Good Bad Ugly marked a major comeback for superstar Ajith Kumar, after the big failure of Vidaamuyarchi. Ajith's vintage avatar in the movie was celebrated by the fans worldwide. It became the first film of the actor to hit 200 crores worldwide gross, including a good performance in overseas markets. War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, has underperformed at the box office, be it domestic or overseas. In the first 5 days, the film grossed approximately 63 crores internationally. The movie is directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Yash Raj Films. After the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir Khan returned to winning ways with Sitaare Zameen Par, a heartfelt comedy-drama that follows a suspended basketball coach who must serve community service by helping a team of players with disabilities prepare for a tournament. Just like Ajith Kumar, SZP proved to be a comeback movie for Aamir Khan by emerging as a box office hit in India and overseas. Sikandar, one of the major letdowns of the year, this Salman Khan-led action drama failed to perform to expectations despite featuring among the top 10 biggest overseas grossers. Directed by a seasoned director like AR Murugadoss, Sikandar finished below 200 crores worldwide, while its overseas performance was also not good. What Sikandar proved for Bollywood, Thug Life met the same fate for Kollywood. Kamal Haasan's much-awaited action-thriller, directed by Mani Ratnam, blended artful filmmaking with mass entertainment. The film's international premieres were major events, boosting its overseas revenue. However, it turned into a big disaster, failing to capitalise on the huge buzz. Before scoring his biggest grosser with Good Bad Ugly, Ajith Kumar had a big setback with the action-drama Vidamuyarchi. It was among the biggest failures. With heavyweights like War 2 and Coolie yet to arrive, the overseas box office race of 2025 is far from over. But for now, Saiyaara sits at the top, proving that heartfelt romance can still rule the world stage in the age of action spectacles. Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 19 - Director Lokesh Kanagaraj teamed with superstar Rajinikanth for the first time for a gangster action drama film Coolie, which had a record-breaking opening weekend ever, after the record opening day, for a Tamil title. The movie entered the 400 crores club at the worldwide box office on its 5th day, and led the director to an elite club. ## With Coolie, Lokesh Kanagaraj has officially entered the elite club of Indian filmmakers who have delivered three consecutive 400+ crore worldwide grossers, standing tall alongside legends like SS Rajamouli and Rajkumar Hirani. Arguably the most bankable director of Tamil cinema currently, Lokesh keeps winning at the box office. ## The filmmaker began this extraordinary streak with Vikram (2022), a Kamal Haasan starrer that revived the superstar's box office dominance and grossed over 400 crore worldwide. He followed it up with Leo (2023), featuring Thalapathy Vijay, which, despite polarised reviews, went on to collect over 600 crore worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time. Now with Coolie (2024), Lokesh has achieved the rare hat-trick, making him the only Tamil filmmaker to do so. ## This puts him in the same league as SS Rajamouli, who delivered path-breaking blockbusters like Baahubali: The Beginning, Baahubali: The Conclusion, and RRR, each setting new benchmarks not just in India but across the world, where his last two films went on to gross over 1000 crores worldwide. Similarly, Bollywood's titan Rajkumar Hirani struck gold with 3 Idiots, PK, Sanju, and Dunku, all surpassing the 400-crore milestone. ## For Lokesh, achieving the feat of delivering 3 consecutive 400 crores grossers in the relatively smaller Tamil market makes the accomplishment even more remarkable. His rise reflects the growing stature of Tamil cinema, even though it is yet to fully explore some of the key markets, including the Hindi belt. With his streak of consecutive blockbusters, he has proven that strong storytelling combined with star power and scale can deliver massive results. ## As he continues to shape the blockbuster Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), along with standalone films with some of India's biggest stars, the young filmmaker is now firmly established as one of the most powerful voices in Indian cinema today. Lokesh's next films promise bigger results with LCU's Kaithi 2, Rolex, and Vikram 2, and a standalone film with Aamir Khan in the pipeline. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 18 - In the high-octane world of the box office, comparisons are inevitable, especially when two megastars go head-to-head. Coolie, superstar Rajinikanth's latest blockbuster, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has officially the superstar's own hit 2 Point 0 to claimed the crown as the biggest opening weekend ever for a Tamil film.## Coolie amassed approximately 385 crore gross globally on its opening weekend, surpassing 2.0's previous record (estimated 375+ crore). However, a more suited comparison of Coolie could be with Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, as 2.0's data are compromised due to various reasons, one of them being the lack of a proper tracking system. ## Worldwide Opening Weekend Box Office Comparison of Coolie and LeoMovie Title1st Day WW GBOC2nd Day WW GBOC3rd Day WW GBOC4th Day WW GBOCTotal Weekend WW GBOCCoolie₹ 153.50 Cr₹ 91.50 Cr₹ 75.00 Cr₹ 65.00 Cr₹ 385.00 CrLeo₹ 142.70 Cr₹ 68.80 Cr₹ 75.50 Cr₹ 69.40 Cr₹ 356.40 Cr## In comparison with Leo, the Rajinikanth-starrer stands tall. Coolie now holds the record of the biggest opening day for the Tamil title with approximately 153 crores worldwide, beating the previous record of Leo, which minted around 143 crores. Both movies showed solid holds over the weekend, but Leo failed to beat Coolie with around 356.50 crores worldwide. ## At the domestic box office, Coolie has grossed approximately 230 crores, in comparison to 208.50 crores gross of Leo. The Rajinikanth-starrer also dominates the overseas opening weekend with around 154 crores, whereas Leo minted 148 crores. Leo is currently the second-largest Tamil grosser of all time, with approximately ₹ 606 crores worldwide. It needs to be seen how far Coolie can go. ##

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 18 - When it comes to the box office, superstar Rajinikanth is no stranger to rewriting history. In 2023, Jailer roared into theatres, amassing record-breaking numbers and cementing itself as a global blockbuster. Two years later, the legend has returned with Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, which opened to unprecedented hype and is already making headlines for its thunderous worldwide opening weekend. ## The clash of these two milestones offers a fascinating look at how the superstar continues to dominate across generations. Coolie stars Rajinikanth as a former smuggler, backed by a stellar ensemble including Shruti Haasan, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Aamir Khan (cameo), and others. On day 1, Coolie exploded with approximately 153 crores worldwide, as the biggest Tamil opener of all time. ## Worldwide Opening Weekend Box Office Comparison of Coolie and LeoMovie Title1st Day WW GBOC2nd Day WW GBOC3rd Day WW GBOC4th Day WW GBOCTotal Weekend WW GBOCCoolie₹ 153.50 Cr₹ 91.50 Cr₹ 75.00 Cr₹ 65.00 Cr₹ 385.00 CrJailer₹ 96.60 Cr₹ 46.40 Cr₹ 79.10 Cr₹ 85.90 Cr₹ 308.00 Cr## Since the opening day, even though the trajectory remained on the downward side, the film retained steam, earning another 250 crores worldwide from Friday to Sunday. With record-setting advances, a historic day, and sustained collections through the extended holiday period, the film has ended its 4-day opening week on a spectacular high with approximately 385 crores worldwide. ## This roaring opening weekend naturally draws comparisons with Rajinikanth's earlier juggernaut, Jailer (2023). Released on August 10, 2023, the Nelson Dilipkumar's directorial had kick-started its journey with a powerful 96.60 Cr worldwide gross. The movie then maintained a steady hold throughout the 4-day opening weekend, grossing 308 Cr globally. While Jailer stunned the industry in 2023 with its phenomenal opening weekend, Coolie has raised the stakes even higher in 2025 with the biggest weekend. ## Stay tuned...