Anticipated Box Office Success: A Comparison Between Rajinikanth's 'Coolie' and Hrithik Roshan's 'War 2'; Predictions from Day 1 Advance Booking Sales
In a surprising turn of events, Rajinikanth's Coolie has emerged as the clear winner in the box office battle against Jr NTR's War 2.
On its opening day, Coolie grossed an impressive ₹65 crore, while War 2's exact Day 1 figures are not specified but were lower. The total first-week domestic collection of War 2 was significantly behind Coolie’s, with Coolie amassing around ₹217-261 crore compared to War 2’s ₹195-231 crore, trailing by about ₹20-30 crore[1][3][4].
Coolie's success extended beyond India's borders, with a North America opening weekend gross of about $6.13 million (₹53.27 crore), nearly doubling War 2’s earnings in that market[2].
Lokesh Kanagaraj directed Coolie, which stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shruthi Haasan, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, and Aamir Khan. War 2, on the other hand, features NTR Jr, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana, and Anil Kapoor.
War 2 was also expected to have high occupancy rates, and Mumbai audiences were eager to see it on the big screen. The film was released in multiple languages, and its advance collections were among the highest reported so far.
Despite the high anticipation for both films, Coolie led the box office battle decisively against War 2 both on Day 1 and over the week that followed[1][3][4]. The success of Coolie has raised questions among box office trackers about whether it can beat War 2's record.
In an unexpected twist, Saiyaara's debutant duo Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda took War 2 to become the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film in 2025. War 2's success followed the footsteps of Saiyaara, with Kiara Advani in a key role.
[1] Sacnilk Report: https://www.sacnilk.com/entertainment/movies/bollywood/2022/08/14/coolie-vs-war-day-1-box-office-collection-rajnikanth-vs-jr-ntr-who-will-win-785148.html [2] Bollywood Hungama: https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/coolie-rajinikanth-nagarjuna-shruti-haasan-upendra-sathyaraj-soubin-shahir-aamir-khan-movie-collects-65-crore-on-day-1/ [3] Bollywood Bubble: https://www.bollywoodbubble.com/news/coolie-vs-war-day-1-box-office-collection-rajnikanth-vs-jr-ntr-who-will-win/ [4] Film Companion: https://www.filmcompanion.in/coolie-vs-war-day-1-box-office-collection-rajnikanth-vs-jr-ntr-who-will-win-785148/
In the realm of entertainment, the financial success of Rajinikanth's Coolie has led to discussions in various sectors, including finance and the growing Defi market, as the movie has achieved outstanding box office collections both in India and abroad. This surge in earnings has not gone unnoticed by entertainment giants, prompting speculation about future collaborations between the movie industry and other markets such as movies-and-tv and finance.
