One of Indian cinema’s legendary icons, Rajinikanth, took the box office by storm with his action thriller Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film ignited theaters with a record-shattering start, but in a surprising turn, Coolie is now grappling with its sharpest drop in daily collections since release. In this detailed update, we examine the highlights, day-wise collections, reasons behind the plunge, and what industry watchers have to say as the film crosses 16 eventful days.
Roller-Coaster Collections: Highlights From Day 1 To Day 16
Coolie opened with a staggering Rs 65 crore net on its first day in India – one of the biggest starts for both Rajinikanth and the Tamil industry this year
Day 2 and 3 showed strong hold, with Rs 54.75 crore and Rs 39.5 crore respectively, driven by festive weekend crowds and Rajinikanth’s massive fandom
As weekdays set in, a sharp drop occurred: Day 4 at Rs 35.25 crore, but by Day 5, collections plunged to Rs 12 crore
Day 6 brought a significant dip, with the film earning only Rs 9.5 crore across languages – its lowest figure so far. Of this, the Tamil version led with Rs 5.65 crore, followed by Hindi at Rs 2 crore, Telugu at Rs 1.75 crore, and Kannada trailing at Rs 0.10 crore
Post first week, the downward spiral continued; in later days, daily earnings have dipped below Rs 2 crore
Coolie’s Daily Box Office Trajectory Across Languages
Week 1 totaled an impressive Rs 229.65 crore net, with Tamil markets contributing the lion’s share, followed by strong showings in Telugu and Hindi
The second week saw drastic declines; by day 16, the total stood at Rs 273.25 crore net, with daily receipts down to Rs 1.75 crore across India
Despite the nose-dive, the worldwide gross surpassed Rs 500 crore, buoyed by overseas success in the US, UK, and Australia
Changing Occupancy And Audience Trends
Tamil-speaking regions reported the highest occupancy, averaging around 16 percent by day 16; spotlight regions like Chennai and Pondicherry saw up to 28 percent occupancy, with major cities like Bengaluru and Coimbatore lagging
Hindi belts experienced lower engagement, with only 9.65 percent overall occupancy by the third Friday
Telugu regions reflected middling turnout, with occupancy hovering just above 15 percent
Reasons Behind The Sudden Slowdown
Theatrical run encountered heavy competition from new releases such as War 2, fragmenting audience attention
Critical reviews cited a conventional plot and underwhelming music compared to Rajinikanth’s previous blockbusters, potentially impacting repeat viewership
High ticket prices and the swift transition to digital platforms further contributed to reduced footfall
Industry Reactions And The Road Ahead
Trade analysts note that while Coolie set new opening benchmarks, sustainability was affected by lack of a strong word-of-mouth wave
The Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj combination assured strong openings, but long-term traction now hinges on post-theatrical digital releases and satellite deals
With total collections still among the year’s top grossers, the film’s position within the all-time highest South Indian earners remains a remarkable achievement
Coolie’s Place In The Box Office Hall Of Fame
The film broke into the top 10 highest-grossing South Indian films ever, and crossed the Rs 500-crore mark worldwide
It ranks just outside the top 25 highest-grossing Indian films, still trailing behind major juggernauts like Saiyaara and Padmaavat
Lifetime prospects now rest on extended runs in select regions and the overseas market’s continued support
Sources: Sacnilk, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Financial Express
