KEY Points
- Independence Day release drives massive turnout; pre-sales clock best of 2025 with 1.73 million+ tickets and ₹37.3 crore gross in India day-1 advance booking.
- Aamir Khan’s cameo confirmed; actor said he accepted without hearing the script, adding star power to Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action-thriller.
- Trade buzz says Coolie could challenge Rajinikanth’s own day-1 benchmark set by 2.0; opening day may eye ₹60+ crore in India despite War 2 clash.
- FDFS mania: Early shows witness whistles, hooting, and “goosebumps” reactions; videos show enthusiastic crowd responses across centers.
- Ensemble cast and Anirudh’s score fuel hype; reviews term it a non-stop thrill ride, with debates over pacing in overseas early reactions.
Mumbai: Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna’s first big-screen collaboration, Coolie, opened on August 14 to a celebratory frenzy, with early morning shows drawing long queues and loud, whistle-filled receptions across key markets as the film collided head-on with War 2 at the box office. The day-1 advance booking closed at a record-setting level for 2025 over 17.3 lakh tickets and ₹37.3 crore gross in India signaling a thunderous start for the Rajinikanth–Lokesh Kanagaraj combo.
Box Office: Records In Sight
- Massive advance bookings position Coolie to challenge Rajinikanth’s 2.0 day-1 India record near ₹60 crore, with strong spot bookings expected to lift first-day actuals further, even amid the high-profile clash with War 2.
- Industry trackers note that Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have led intake, and the wider South base plus Hindi-belt chatter around the clash have amplified visibility and momentum.
Star Power And Cast
- Rajinikanth headlines as Deva in a grey-shaded, mass-driven role, while Nagarjuna’s formidable antagonist arc sets up a high-voltage face-off that anchors the narrative’s stakes.
- Confirmed cameo: Aamir Khan revealed he said “yes” instantly out of admiration for Rajinikanth, validating weeks of speculation and adding marquee heft to the film’s appeal.
- The ensemble features Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Upendra, and Soubin Shahir, with Anirudh Ravichander’s soundtrack driving the big-screen energy.
Audience Reaction: Early Shows And FDFS Buzz
First-show reactions highlight crowd-pleasing set-pieces, retro-styled mass moments, and a surge of whistles during Rajinikanth’s intro, with viewers praising the action staging and interval spikes; street interviews and theatre-footage clips capture “goosebumps” responses and strong word-of-mouth in early screenings. Live blogs and social updates tag Coolie a “non-stop thrill ride,” though some overseas early viewers flagged pacing dips before a rousing final act.
Direction, Action, And Music
Lokesh Kanagaraj’s kinetic set-pieces and punch-line driven screenplay deliver high-octane chases and stylish combat beats designed for large-format viewing, while Anirudh’s score and songs punch up whistle-worthy moments that have historically synchronized well with Rajinikanth’s mass persona.
Clash Watch: War 2 Vs Coolie
Despite fewer shows due to the two-giant face-off, analysts suggest Coolie’s South stronghold and star convergence could secure an edge regionally through the opening frame, with national numbers dependent on spot bookings, screen allocation dynamics, and the holiday weekend runway.
