Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, released on August 14 with massive expectations. The pre-release hype translated into strong openings, but the mixed response has hurt its long-term box office run.
Despite the dip, Coolie has collected around ₹500 crores worldwide and secured a spot in the top five highest-grossing Kollywood films of all time. Rajinikanth now holds three places in this elite list.
The top two positions remain with 2.0 and Jailer, both Rajinikanth starrers, while Vijay’s Leo stands at third. Coolie occupies the fourth spot, with Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 at fifth.
Trade experts, however, argue that Coolie is an underperformer. Nearly 80% of its collections came from pre-bookings, and its run after the first weekend has been disappointing. The film missed the opportunity to aim for Kollywood’s ₹1000 crore milestone.
Many now hope Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer 2 will achieve what Coolie couldn’t a historic ₹1000 crore mark for Kollywood. Whether the sequel lives up to the expectations remains to be seen.
