Rajinikanth's Coolie Dominates Global Box Office with Record-Breaking Opening
Superstar Rajinikanth The Record Maker & Record Breaker 🔥🔥🔥#Coolie becomes the Highest ever Day 1 worldwide gross for a Tamil film with 151 Crores+#Coolie in theatres worldwide🌟@rajinikanth @Dir_Lokesh @anirudhofficial #AamirKhan @iamnagarjuna @nimmaupendra #SathyaRaj… pic.twitter.com/k3wLtIMqPn
— Sun Pictures (@sunpictures) August 15, 2025
Rajinikanth's Coolie: A Worldwide Box Office Powerhouse
Superstar Rajinikanth's latest collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie, has taken the worldwide box office by storm, shattering records and exceeding expectations, according to multiple news outlets. The film, which features a strong supporting cast including Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Sathyaraj, and a cameo from Aamir Khan, has cemented itself as one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of the year.
Record-Breaking Opening
On its opening day, August 14th, 2025, Coolie raked in an estimated ₹151 crore (US$18 million) worldwide, making it the highest opening grosser for any Tamil film in history. This unprecedented success is attributed to Rajinikanth's enduring star power, a compelling action thriller storyline, and strong performances from the ensemble cast. The film's momentum is especially fierce in Tamil Nadu and Telugu states, with impressive occupancy rates, though it has seen strong performances across all languages it was released in (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada). Notably, it even surpassed the opening day collections of mega hits like Jawan, Animal, and Pathaan, and even outshone its box office competitor, War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan.
Domestic and International Domination
Within India, Coolie registered a staggering ₹65 crore net (all languages) on its opening day, marking Rajinikanth's career-best domestic opener and the biggest opening for Kollywood. The film's international performance has been equally impressive, with a record-breaking $8 million (₹75.5 crore) earned outside of India on Day 1, making it the biggest international debut for a Tamil film. Advance bookings alone contributed significantly, with overseas pre-sales crossing ₹37 crore before release.
Continued Success and Future Outlook
The film continued its strong run on Day 2, August 15th (Independence Day in India), maintaining a solid hold at the box office despite facing stiff competition. While there was a slight dip in occupancy compared to the opening day as family audiences joined the mix, the Hindi version saw an increase in ticket sales. Early estimates for Day 2 suggested Coolie could reach ₹91 crore net domestically and aimed to cross the ₹100 crore mark by the end of the day, which it likely did. This puts it in a prime position to become one of the fastest films to achieve the ₹100 crore milestone in India.
While reviews for Coolie have been mixed, the overwhelming audience reception indicates that Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj have delivered a crowd-pleasing action film that resonates with fans. With the extended Independence Day weekend, Coolie is poised to continue its record-breaking journey and could potentially become one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time.