Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has officially entered the ₹200-crore club at the domestic box office. The film, produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures, was released on August 14 and continues to be the top choice for audiences despite facing competition from Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2.
According to trade estimates from Sacnilk.com, Coolie earned about ₹12 crore on its first Monday, taking its five-day total collection in India to ₹206.50 crore. The film had a record-breaking opening day with ₹65 crore, followed by ₹54.75 crore on Friday, ₹39.5 crore on Saturday, and ₹35.25 crore on Sunday. While the drop on Monday was expected after the extended holiday weekend, the overall performance cements Coolie as one of the year’s biggest blockbusters.
The action drama is Lokesh Kanagaraj’s sixth directorial venture and his first collaboration with Rajinikanth. It features an ensemble cast including Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, and Rachita Ram. Anirudh Ravichander has scored the music, with Girish Gangadharan handling cinematography and Philomin Raj on the edit.
An excerpt from CE's review of the film reads, "The reliable Anirudh is effective in most portions, giving the film the right amount of intrigue and massiness, and overcompensates for the contrivances in the narrative when all the cards are laid on the table. For a film that wants to rely more on the emotional journey of a loner coming to terms with loss and longing, Coolie takes too long a time to get there."
