Rajinikanth's Coolie vs Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR's War 2 Day 3 Collection: Downward Trend Continues As YRF Film Sees Alarming Drop

Mumbai, August 17 - The much-hyped Independence Day box office clash between Tamil tentpole Coolie and Bollywood blockbuster War 2 is turning out to be a no-real clash as Rajinikanth-starrer is running away with a big lead, even though both films have underperformed compared to sky-high expectations.

There were massive expectations from both films, as the trade circles had predicted a combined domestic gross of 600–700 crores during the extended four-day holiday weekend. However, the cumulative figure for Coolie and War 2 is now tracking under ₹450 crores gross, making the clash a dampener in terms of overall box office numbers.



Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie opened with historic numbers, delivering the biggest-ever opening for a Tamil film. The gangster action drama, despite receiving mixed to negative reviews, has managed to stay afloat with strong festival holiday support; however, the trend has been on the downward side.

After three days, Coolie has grossed over 185 crores in India and 320+ crores worldwide, becoming the fastest Tamil film to achieve the milestone of 300 crores. Day 3 saw a noticeable drop of around 30%, with collections of ₹45+ crores gross domestically, but the overall momentum still positions the film for an extended weekend in the 375–400 crores worldwide range. The key test lies ahead, as sustaining beyond the holiday period could be challenging with muted word of mouth.

On the other side, Ayan Mukerji's directorial War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, has struggled to hold after its underwhelming opening. The spy actioner saw an alarming 40% drop on Saturday, despite the Krishna Janmashtami holiday. The Telugu version collapsed, dipping below 10 crores gross, signalling weak traction in South markets.



In Hindi, the film managed 26–27 crores net (32 crores gross) on Day 3, taking its three-day total to around 100 crores net (120 crores gross). The extended weekend is projected to close around 125 crores net (150 crores gross) in Hindi. However, the Telugu version is a letdown, with a 3-day haul of just 50 crores gross (42+ crores net).

Overall, War 2 has clocked approximately 170 crores gross domestically (142+ crores net) and around 215 crores worldwide after three days. With poor reviews and mixed audience feedback, sustaining momentum during weekdays could prove difficult, mirroring Coolie's concerns.

Stay tuned...