Advance ticket sales for War 2 initiate in India, raking in over 2 crore rupees in a single day, despite some limited showings in Telugu cinemas.
The much-anticipated Hindi film, War 2, is gearing up for its release on August 14, 2025. YRF has announced paid previews for the film in 900 US screens, but the advance bookings in the US have been slow, with only about 1,600 tickets sold as of last Sunday morning, leaving many auditoriums almost empty.
Back in India, the advance bookings for War 2 have been strong and growing, especially after the Telugu version's bookings opened on August 12, 2025. Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani's star power have helped the film gain momentum, with over 5.17 lakh tickets sold across India, earning around ₹14.06 crore in advance bookings. In the Telugu states, advance bookings surged dramatically due to Jr NTR's fan base, pushing the film's overall advance collections close to or above ₹9 crore early on.
However, Rajinikanth's Coolie has recorded even more phenomenal advance booking figures. Across India, Coolie amassed over ₹27 crore from about 12.46 lakh advance tickets sold, dominating especially in Tamil Nadu, where it contributed ₹22.81 crore alone. Telugu and Hindi markets also showed strong numbers for Coolie. The film's advance ticket sales well surpassed War 2’s collections by a factor of nearly 2 to 3 times, marking it as the highest-grossing film in advance bookings for 2025 so far.
War 2 follows the Tiger movies, War, and the upcoming Pathaan and Alpha in the YRF Spy Universe. Hrithik Roshan plays the role of a rogue R&AW agent, Kabir, in War 2 and is faced with a new villain, played by Jr NTR. Kiara Advani is the love interest in War 2, replacing Vaani Kapoor from the previous film.
As the release date approaches, YRF has been actively promoting War 2. Hrithik Roshan announced the opening of War 2 advance bookings in India on Sunday, and the film's advance bookings have already minted more than ₹2 crore. The Telugu version of War 2 showed some momentum after a day of US pre-sales, but the shows for War 2 are less than expected, despite the film also starring a popular Telugu actor, Jr NTR.
The international advance booking for War 2 was not very warm. However, the film's domestic performance, especially in India, will be closely watched. War 2 will have to compete with Rajinikanth's Coolie, which also releases on the same day. Alpha, with Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, is also in the pipeline in the YRF Spy Universe.
Sources: [1] https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hindi/story/war-2-advance-bookings-rajinikanth-coolie-box-office-clash-1966370-2025-08-10 [2] https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/advance-bookings-rajinikanth-starrer-coolie-cross-27-cr-india-war-2-falls-short/ [3] https://www.pinkvilla.com/movies/news/war-2-advance-bookings-cross-rs-14-crore-in-india-517006 [4] https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/hollywood/rajinikanth-starrer-coolie-beats-war-2-in-advance-bookings-101689893636416.html [5] https://www.india.com/lifestyle/entertainment/war-2-advance-bookings-cross-rs-9-crore-in-telugu-states-517008/
- The international advance bookings for War 2 were less than expected, but back in India, the advance bookings for War 2 have been strong and growing, especially in the Telugu states, where they surged dramatically due to Jr NTR's fan base, pushing the film's overall advance collections close to or above ₹9 crore early on.
- In comparison, Rajinikanth's Coolie amassed over ₹27 crore from about 12.46 lakh advance tickets sold, dominating especially in Tamil Nadu, marking it as the highest-grossing film in advance bookings for 2025 so far in India.
- As the release date approaches, both War 2 and Coolie will have to compete in the Indian Bollywood and film industry, which continues to make waves internationally with movies-and-tv offerings from India such as the Tiger movies, War, and the upcoming Pathaan and Alpha in the YRF Spy Universe, further igniting the Indian entertainment scene on the international stage.
