The Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj film Coolie is getting tremendous buzz in the market, and this reflects the most on the pre-booking figures for the film in South India. Kerala, especially, is proving a lucrative market for the action film, the release of which coincides with 50 years of Rajinikanth’s acting career. Trade analysts say that bookings for the film in Kerala have already crossed 5 crore and are on track to set an all-time record. Speaking about the business aspect, Saju Johny, owner of Kavitha Theatre in Kochi, says, “Almost 90 per cent of tickets have been sold for all six shows on the first day of release in our theatre. We have reserved some tickets for our near and dear ones.” He goes on to add, “One screen here can accommodate 1,100 viewers, which means 6,600 seats.”
The defining aspect of superstardom is the ability to draw viewers in droves into the theatre on the day of release. Many find it remarkable that a septuagenarian superstar’s film is the most anticipated film of the year. However, as for Coolie, Saju does not attribute the pre-release momentum towards the Rajinikanth factor alone. “It is the film with the most hype out of all Rajinikanth films in Kerala. The main factor in that is the involvement of director Lokesh Kanagaraj in the film. Let us not forget that he has worked with Vijay in Master and Leo, with Karthi in Kaithi, and Kamal Haasan in Vikram.”
Kochi-based Vanitha Theatre's Manager Lesley echoes Saju’s sentiment, saying, “People are looking forward to the collaborative output of Lokesh Kanagaraj and Rajinikanth. Therefore, there is heavy booking not just here but across Kerala.” He goes on to add, “The film is playing in 520 theatres across the state on the first day. It exceeds the corresponding figures for even L2: Empuraan.”
On the other hand, Saju underscores the unique aspect of Coolie being an A-rated film, a rarity for a Rajinikanth starrer. “We cannot sell tickets to those aged below 18 years. Ticket booking websites are very strict in that regard.” However, Lesley says that theatre owners cannot control it too much when parents come along with their children. Verifying each audience member becomes difficult when a film draws such a massive crowd.”
Speaking of which, crowd control is the main challenge that comes with the release of a big film such as Coolie. According to Linto Davis, owner of Vanitha Theatre, it is hard to accommodate the sheer number of vehicles on the first day. “It is more manageable if a large number of bikes come, but with bigger vehicles, it becomes difficult,” says Linto. The theatre owner also reveals that Bookmyshow and Uber are in talks for a tie-up system where the cab service provider would offer a particular discount for car-owning customers. “There is still no concrete deal in place yet, and many people would still prefer using their own vehicles even if there is one. However, it would be useful if the vehicle count comes down by at least 10 per cent.”
Lesley shares that the online ticketing system has made it easier to handle the security situation on big-budget films’ release days. “Earlier, we used to have police officers at the theatre to control the crowd at the time of ticket sales. Before the availability of online websites, 1,500 people would show up for a show that could accommodate only 500. Therefore, we might need police support. However, nowadays, only those who have bought the tickets will come to the theatre.”
The ticketing system works as a double-edged sword, according to Lesley. “Earlier, when people did not get tickets for a film that ran to a packed house, they would go for another film on the screen next door. However, the online system has meant that people book tickets for specific films. On the flip side, it has simplified refunding customers in case of cancellations, as ticket booking websites take care of it.”
The frenzy over Coolie has also resulted in a situation where there are fewer takers for Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s film War 2, which is also releasing on the same day. This is unsurprising, especially because the figures exceed the respective first–day numbers for even Mohanlal and Mammootty’s films. “Malayalam films are usually released only in 150-250 screens in Kerala. Empuraan is the only film to have had such a wide release in the recent past. Thudarum only had about 250 screens on the opening day.” This is interesting, particularly because Thudarum’s director Tharun Moorthy has a solid track record with a critically acclaimed film such as Saudi Vellakka as well as the critically appreciated and commercially successful Operation Java. “Both are medium-level films without big stars. That is not the case with Coolie.”
All the 25 shows for Coolie, from 6:00 am to 11:30 pm, across four screens at Vanitha Theatre have already been sold out. The theatre’s manager shares that the number of shows will come down after the first day, as the theatre has to fulfill its commitment to Sumathi Valavu, Su From So, and Sahasam. This is common practice, which has happened for films, such as Leo, and other Rajinikanth starrers.
Linto shares that he tried to get shows for War 2 but could not due to the theatre’s commitment to Malayalam film distributors.
The Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation’s chairman and producer, Liberty Basheer, supports the distributors, saying, “Malayalam films should always have first preference.” However, he refutes the claim about Coolie having the highest pre-booking figures for all Rajinikanth films. “We will have to wait until this night to see if that will be the case. Rajinikanth’s Jailer has earned more through advance sales than Coolie.”
