Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s much-anticipated gangster action thriller Coolie has already outpaced the opening day pre-sales of Mohanlal’s blockbuster Thudarum in Kerala, which released earlier this year. With three days still to go before its August 14 release, the film has raked in over Rs 5.34 crores from advance bookings in the state alone, according to box office tracker What The Fuss. The numbers put it on track to become the second-highest opener of the year in Kerala, behind Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan, which collected just above Rs 14 crores.
According to box office tracker Sacnilk, Coolie is proving to be a powerhouse worldwide, with sensational advance booking collections for its first day. Internationally, the film has already grossed over Rs 37 crores (including premieres) and is heading towards the Rs 50 crore mark sooner than expected, a figure that would make it the biggest opening for a Tamil title overseas.
While overseas markets have led the charge, the Indian response has been equally strong since bookings opened on August 8. Over 1,00,000 tickets were sold in no time, with domestic first-day bookings currently standing at around Rs 14 crores. Tamil Nadu leads the domestic market with over Rs 10 crores, followed by Karnataka with more than Rs 3 crores, while bookings in the Telugu states are yet to begin.
Kerala’s contribution is particularly significant. If the film surpasses the Rs 6 crore first-day record set by Jailer, it will mark Rajinikanth’s highest-ever opening in the state.
The surge in Kerala’s pre-sales also reflects a growing trend: the increasing trust in the brand of Lokesh. Since the release of Kaithi, which launched the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), followed by Master and later instalments of LCU like Kamal Haasan’s Vikram and Vijay’s Leo, the director has cultivated a loyal audience base that turns up for his films as much for his name as for the stars. In Kerala, such name-driven anticipation was previously reserved only for filmmakers like Shankar and, more recently, SS Rajamouli.
Produced by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures banner, Coolie marks Rajinikanth’s 171st film and reunites him with Sathyaraj after 38 years. The ensemble cast includes Aamir Khan in a special appearance, alongside Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir. The technical crew includes cinematographer Girish Gangadharan, music director Anirudh Ravichander, editor Philomin Raj and stunt choreographers Anbariv. Lokesh has penned the dialogues with Chandhru Anbazhagan, who also contributed to the screenplay.
Awarded an ‘A’ certificate for its intense violence, Coolie has only fuelled audience curiosity. With Rs 50+ crores already secured in worldwide pre-sales for day one and more territories yet to open full bookings, the film is on course to cross Rs 100 crores in advance sales alone. Trade analysts say the momentum puts it firmly in contention for one of the biggest worldwide openings ever for an Indian film, and potentially a record-breaking day one for Tamil cinema.