BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 21 - In the contrasting turn of events, Thalapathy Vijay's Leo is set to remain the biggest opening week grosser of Tamil cinema, a title which was threatened to be taken by superstar Rajinikanth's latest blockbuster Coolie. Both films registered historic collections, but their trajectories highlight the difference in audience pull during the weekend and week numbers. ## In the opening weekend, Rajinikanth's Coolie took a clear lead by emerging as the biggest Tamil weekend grosser, with approximately 385 crore, edging past Leo's 356.50 crore opening weekend. The Superstar's mass appeal and festive holiday advantage ensured a record-breaking start despite mixed reviews. ## However, the equation shifted over the first full week, where things have taken a drastic turn. After the record opening weekend, Coolie fell sharply during the weekdays, as its first 7 days collection is around 430 crores gross worldwide. On the other hand, Leo showcased better consistency with solid holds, collecting approximately 464 crore worldwide in the same span. ## ## The strong weekday hold allowed Vijay's film to claim the biggest Tamil first-week grosser of all time. Even with the extended 8-day opening week run, Leo maintained its edge with 476 crore, outpacing Coolie, which is expected to be around 440 crores 8-day haul worldwide. ## Trade experts believe this pattern reinforces a long-observed trend: Rajinikanth films ignite explosive openings, while Vijay’s recent outings have demonstrated stronger weekday legs. Ultimately, both Coolie and Leo have cemented their place in box office history, but the battle will be remembered as a weekend win for Rajinikanth and a week-long triumph for Thalapathy Vijay. ## Note: Rajinikanth's 2.0's numbers are not considered in this article, as there were a lot of discrepancies regarding the film's South Indian language collection. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 18 - In the high-octane world of the box office, comparisons are inevitable, especially when two megastars go head-to-head. Coolie, superstar Rajinikanth's latest blockbuster, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has officially the superstar's own hit 2 Point 0 to claimed the crown as the biggest opening weekend ever for a Tamil film.## Coolie amassed approximately 385 crore gross globally on its opening weekend, surpassing 2.0's previous record (estimated 375+ crore). However, a more suited comparison of Coolie could be with Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, as 2.0's data are compromised due to various reasons, one of them being the lack of a proper tracking system. ## Worldwide Opening Weekend Box Office Comparison of Coolie and LeoMovie Title1st Day WW GBOC2nd Day WW GBOC3rd Day WW GBOC4th Day WW GBOCTotal Weekend WW GBOCCoolie₹ 153.50 Cr₹ 91.50 Cr₹ 75.00 Cr₹ 65.00 Cr₹ 385.00 CrLeo₹ 142.70 Cr₹ 68.80 Cr₹ 75.50 Cr₹ 69.40 Cr₹ 356.40 Cr## In comparison with Leo, the Rajinikanth-starrer stands tall. Coolie now holds the record of the biggest opening day for the Tamil title with approximately 153 crores worldwide, beating the previous record of Leo, which minted around 143 crores. Both movies showed solid holds over the weekend, but Leo failed to beat Coolie with around 356.50 crores worldwide. ## At the domestic box office, Coolie has grossed approximately 230 crores, in comparison to 208.50 crores gross of Leo. The Rajinikanth-starrer also dominates the overseas opening weekend with around 154 crores, whereas Leo minted 148 crores. Leo is currently the second-largest Tamil grosser of all time, with approximately ₹ 606 crores worldwide. It needs to be seen how far Coolie can go. ##

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 18 - Superstar Rajinikanth reigns supreme at the box office at the age of 75. The Indian cinema legend led his gangster action drama Coolie to the number 1 among the biggest opening weekend grossers of Tamil cinema, beating Rajinikanth's own film, 2.0. ## Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie had a bumper 4-day opening weekend, with a gross collection of over 385 crores at the worldwide box office. With this, it has beaten director Shankar's sci-fi action drama 2.0, which grossed approximately 375 crores worldwide in its 4-day weekend. ## In India, Coolie has grossed approximately 228 crores, while the overseas collection is an estimated 157 crores ($18 million) after the extended opening weekend. Back in 2018, Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar-fronted 2.0 was a box office juggernaut in its opening weekend, led by superb response in the Hindi version. ## Top 5 Biggest Opening Weekend Tamil Grossers WorldwiddeRankFilm TitleFirst Weekend WW GBOC (Days)Release Year1.Coolie₹ 385.00 Cr (4D)20252.2 Point 0₹ 379.00 Cr (4D)***20183.Leo₹ 356.40 Cr (4D)20234.Jailer₹ 308.00 Cr (4D)20235.The GOAT₹ 281.00 Cr (4D)2024## Note: The opening weekend data of 2.0 might be different, as there were a lot of irregularities in Tamil and Telugu collection back then due to the lack of a proper tracking system. So take that as a "pinch of salt" ## Irrespective of what the original collection of 2.0 was, superstar Rajinikanth dominates with the biggest opening weekend of Tamil cinema. Mind you. 2.0 is still the biggest grosser of Tamil cinema with around 700 crores worldwide, and now, Coolie is hoping to overtake that. ## Produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie boasts a solid ensemble cast including Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj and Rachita Ram, with Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde in special appearances. In the film, a former coolie union leader investigates the death of his friend, which leads him to a crime syndicate. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 16 - The law of cinema says that a film's box office performance gets affected when critics don't like it. At least, this rule applies to most of the stars, but not to superstar Rajinikanth, who is among the very few to win over negative reviews and create box office records. ## The Indian cinema legend has once again proved his unmatched box office dominance as his latest release Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stormed past the 300 crore mark worldwide in record time, despite facing negative reviews from critics and a section of audiences. ## The gangster action drama had a record opening, but trade feared that it might collapse as reviews were not favourable. Well, that didn't happen (at least till now), as Coolie has become the fastest Tamil film ever to reach 300 crore worldwide, surpassing Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, which previously held the record. ## While Leo achieved the milestone in 4 days, Coolie has managed to cross the same figure in just 3 days, rewriting Kollywood's box office record books. The latest blockbuster is heading towards 325+ crores worldwide in 3 days. Leo had grossed 287 crores worldwide in as many days. ## The film's extraordinary opening day gross of over 150 crore set the tone for its historic run. Strong collections in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra/Telangana were further boosted by phenomenal overseas earnings, where Coolie registered the biggest Tamil overseas debut of all time. ## Even with polarising word of mouth, the film continues to pull massive crowds, reaffirming Rajinikanth's superstardom and director Lokesh Kanagaraj's mass appeal. Trade experts note that Coolie's performance highlights Rajinikanth's enduring popularity, even at the age of 75. ## With the Independence Day holiday weekend fueling its numbers, the movie is now racing towards the 500 crore club, with expectations of setting new lifetime benchmarks for Tamil cinema. The real test, however, will begin on Monday, and if Coolie can overcome that, it is not going to stop anytime soon. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 16 - At the age of 75, superstar Rajinikanth muscled his star power and led his gangster action drama Coolie to the box office glory, not just in India but also internationally. Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial scaled to new heights with unprecedented day 1 collection. Produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie broke several records for Tamil cinema, and one of them is the biggest overseas opening. The much-hyped blockbuster was in all its glory and powered to a massive $8.75 million (76.75 crores) on its opening day in the international markets, beating the previous record holder, Leo (66.50 crores), starring Thalapathy Vijay. Here Are The Top 10 Biggest Tamil Openers At The Overseas Box OfficeRankFilm TitleDay 1 Overseas CollectionRelease Year1.Coolie₹ 76.75 Cr [$8.75M]20252.Leo₹ 66.50 Cr [$8.25M]20233.The GOAT₹ 48.00 Cr [$5.73M]20244.Kabali₹ 45.00 Cr [$6.60M]20165.Ponniyin Selvan 1₹ 40.80 Cr [$5.20M]20226.Jailer₹ 40.00 Cr [$4.88M]20237.Ponniyin Selvan 2₹ 34.00 Cr [$4.15M]20238.Bigil₹ 27.00 Cr [$3.80M]20199.Beast₹ 25.00 Cr [$3.20M]202210.Vikram₹ 24.50 Cr [$3.14M]2022 The chart highlights how superstar Rajinikanth and Thalapathy Vijay dominate the overseas market, with each featuring multiple times in the top 10 list. Rajinikanth claims the top spot with Coolie, while also holding strong positions with Kabali and Jailer. Meanwhile, Vijay has Leo, the GOAT, Bigil, and Beast among the highest overseas openers. Historical epics like Ponniyin Selvan 1 & 2 and Kamal Haasan's comeback blockbuster Vikram also feature in the top list, showcasing how veteran Tamil cinema legends have consistently expanded their reach worldwide over the past few years. Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, September 27 - In the opening day box office battle, superstar Pawan Kalyan has officially entered the all-time top 10 list with his latest blockbuster They Call Him OG, directed by Sujeeth. Released on September 25, the gangster action drama stormed the global box office with one of the biggest openings for an Indian film, cementing Power Star's dominance even in the era of pan-India cinema. The race for the biggest Indian opener has grown fierce over the years. It all began with SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), which not only redefined Indian box office history but also became the first Indian film to cross 100 crore and 200 crore worldwide on day one. The director later broke his own record with RRR (2022), which took global openings to another level. In 2024, Indian cinema scaled unprecedented heights when Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 – The Rule shook the industry with a 275 crore worldwide opening, almost touching the (still) unthinkable 300 crore mark. While OG didn't break into the top five, it still paved its path to history, delivering the biggest-ever opening for PK and ranking among the Top 10 Biggest Indian Openers of All Time. Top 10 Biggest Indian Openers Here Are Top 10 Biggest Indian Openers At The Worldwide Box Office Rank Film Title Original Language Day 1 WW GBOC 1.Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024)Telugu₹ 275.20 Cr 2.RRR (2022)Telugu₹ 223.00 Cr 3.Baahubali - The Conclusion (2017)Telugu₹ 217.00 Cr 4.Kalki 2898 AD (2024)Telugu₹ 177.70 Cr 5.KGF: Chapter 2 (2022)Kannada₹ 159.00 Cr 6.Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire (2023)Telugu₹ 158.10 Cr 7.Coolie (2025)Tamil₹ 153.00 Cr 8.They Call Him OG (2025)Telugu₹ 144.00 Cr 9.Leo (2023)Tamil₹ 142.90 Cr 10.Devara: Part 1 (2024)Telugu₹ 142.00 Cr The top 10 biggest Indian openers list is dominated by Telugu titles with seven films, and the reason is the massive Pan India appeal, which began with Baahubali. The Tamil cinema too is making long strides with 2 films in the list, Kannada cinema has 1 film among the top openers. Looking ahead, the list may undergo a major shakeup with several upcoming juggernauts in the making. From Prabhas' Spirit, Fauji, The Raja Saab, Salaar 2, and Kalki 2 to Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana, Animal Park, and Dhoom 4, Shah Rukh Khan's King, Allu Arjun's AA22, SS Rajamouli's Gen63 (with Mahesh Babu), Yash's Toxic, Jr. NTR's Dragon, Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, and Vijay's Jana Nayagan, all these films carry the potential to rewrite box office history yet again. Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 15 - In the race to emerge as the king of Tamil cinema, superstar Rajinikanth's gangster action drama Coolie has beaten Thalapathy Vijay's LCU blockbuster Leo, and become the biggest opener ever for a Tamil title, at the domestic and worldwide box office. Released on August 14, just ahead of the Independence Day holiday, Coolie began its run with record-breaking pre-sales of over 100 crore. Despite facing mixed reviews and a direct clash with Yash Raj Films' high-octane spy thriller War 2, Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial drew huge spot bookings, turning the film's opening into a box office triumph. While final numbers are still coming, estimates indicate that Coolie has grossed over 150 crore worldwide on its first day, overtaking Leo's 143 crore debut. This achievement makes it the biggest Tamil opener of all time, and only the third Tamil film in history to open with more than 100 crore globally. On the domestic front, Coolie raked in around 78 crore gross, setting a new benchmark for Tamil films and surpassing the previous record held by Rajinikanth's 2.0 and Vijay's Leo, which grossed around 76.50 crores. International markets also responded with blockbuster enthusiasm, contributing an estimated 75 crore gross, a new overseas record, beating Leo's 66 crore. Both Coolie and Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, have been the most hyped Tamil films in recent times. Even the opening day advances for both titles were almost in the same range, but experts attribute Coolie's record opening to the perfect combination of Rajinikanth's mass appeal, Lokesh Kanagaraj's brand value post-Vikram and Leo, and the holiday weekend. With these opening day numbers, Coolie has set the tone for a potentially record-breaking lifetime run for Tamil cinema. If the film manages to win over mixed word of mouth, through the holiday period and maintains decent weekday holds, it could challenge 2.0's lifetime worldwide gross of around 700 crores. Have A Look At The Opening Day State-Wise Box Office Comparison of Coolie and LeoRegion/StateLeo Day 1 GBOCCoolie Day 1 GBOCTamil Nadu₹30.20 Cr₹29.00 CrKarnataka₹14.10 Cr₹14.00 CrAP/TG₹15.40 Cr₹17.00 CrKerala₹12.00 Cr₹9.50 CrRest of India₹4.50 Cr₹7.25 CrOverseas₹66.50 Cr₹75.00 CrTotal₹142.70 Cr₹151.75 Cr Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 14 - The D-day is here as superstar Rajinikanth's much-awaited gangster action drama Coolie hits the big screens amid huge hype. The film has set the Tamil film industry buzzing with its historic advance booking numbers for the opening day. ## Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie will start the day with 100+ crores already in the bag as it has shattered all previous opening day pre-sales records for the Tamil cinema, cementing its place as a monumental box office force.## As per the final tracked booking, Coolie has scored a massive 108+ crores for the opening day, including around 50 crores in India and 58 crores overseas, for the opening day. This makes it the highest first-day booking ever for a Tamil film, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Leo in single-day ticket sales (100+ crores). ## However, when looking at the overall opening weekend bookings, Coolie (183 crores) fell a little short of Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, which still holds the crown with 188 crores worldwide. While Coolie dominated with unprecedented Day 1 momentum, it fell slightly short of Leo’s cumulative opening pre-sales record. ## Still, the feat is nothing short of spectacular for Rajinikanth, whose box office pull remains unmatched after decades in the industry. With Coolie releasing amid huge anticipation and clashing with Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR's War 2, all eyes are now on how the film converts its massive pre-sales into record-shattering collections once the final numbers roll in. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 7 - Director Lokesh Kanagaraj might just outdo himself at the overseas box office as his upcoming gangster action drama Coolie, starring superstar Rajinikanth, is threatening to outgross the opening day record of his previous blockbuster, Leo, which starred Thalapathy Vijay in the leading role. ## The Rajinikanth-starrer is among the most anticipated Indian movies of the year, and the overseas pre-sales are proof of it. With huge hype around it, Coolie is showing great momentum in pre-sales and has already grossed around 25 crores for the opening day (including premiere), and there are still a week left for the release. ## In North America alone, the premiere pre-sales of Coolie have crossed a staggering $1.5 million with 7 days to go, and the film is now within striking distance of beating Rajinikanth's own Kabali, which holds the current record for the biggest Tamil premiere day in the region with $1.92 million. The film is also showing impressive trends in other key markets such as the UK, Malaysia, Australia, and the UAE. ## The overseas pre-sales of Coolie are on par with Thalapathy Vijay's Leo at the same time, and if the momentum continues, the Rajinikanth-starrer could emerge as the biggest Tamil opener outside India, beating Leo, which took the opening of around 66 crores gross. ## There is a fight for the screens going on as Coolie is competing with Yash Raj Films' War 2, which releases on the same day. Despite that, the Tamil blockbuster has taken a significant lead over the Bollywood tentpole in overseas pre-sales. ## The big question now is whether Coolie can match or exceed Leo's global opening of 143 crore. With the domestic clash with Yash Raj Films' hugely anticipated spy action thriller War 2 expected to impact collections in India, all eyes are on the overseas box office, where Rajinikanth’s magnetic pull could once again rewrite records. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, August 6 - Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is busy with the promotion of superstar Rajinikanth-fronted gangster action drama Coolie, one of the most awaited films of the year. As Lokesh navigates the excitement ahead of Coolie's release, the director is also looking forward to returning to his signature cinematic universe with the much-hyped sequel, Kaithi 2. ## During a recent interview, the filmmaker encountered a silly question when the interviewer asked him whether is regrets making Kaithi 2 after doing films with industry giants like Rajinikant, Vijay, and Kamal Haasan. Lokesh answered it sensibly while showing his huge admiration for actor Karthi, crediting him as the catalyst behind his rise as a successful director. ## "Karthi sir gave me my break. If I am here today, it's because of him. He trusted me when no one else would. Kaithi changed my life." The director reflected on how Kaithi (2019) became a turning point not just in his career but also in Tamil cinema, laying the foundation for the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). ## He added that Karthi's commitment, humility, and belief in his vision gave him the confidence to pursue bold storytelling styles. "Karthi never treated me like a newcomer. For me, he is a big star. He gave me complete freedom on Kaithi, and that faith still motivates me," Lokesh remarked. ## Lokesh Believes Kaithi 2 Will Be A Huge Hit ## As anticipation builds around the sequel Kaithi 2, Lokesh believes it will be one of his biggest hits. "Kaithi 2 will be a huge hit. I'm working very hard to make sure it lives up to the expectations. It will be bigger in scale, emotion, and action." He also confirmed that the script is nearing completion and that filming will begin after his current project with Rajinikanth (Coolie) wraps up. ## Kaithi 2 is the 4th film in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, after Kaithi Leo (2023), Vikram (2022), and Kaithi (2019). In one of the earlier interviews, Lokesh said that Kaithi 2 will be the peak LCU film in which characters from other films will have a crossover. It is expected to start rolling towards the end of this year and be released next year. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, July 31 - In a major development, Pan India superstar Prabhas-fronted much-awaited horror-comedy The Raja Saab is now reportedly eyeing a new release date. The latest reports suggest that the film, initially scheduled for December 5, 2025, has been postponed due to ongoing post-production work. ## Directed by Maruthi and produced by People Media Factory, the movie will now reportedly be hitting the big screens on January 9, 2026, setting up a mega festive clash with Thalapathy Vijay's political action drama Jana Nayagan, which is already locked for the same weekend during the Pongal/Sankranti holiday frame. ## The Raja Saab marks a unique blend of horror, romance, and mass commercial entertainment. With Prabhas stepping into a lighter, more humorous avatar after a string of high-octane action roles, the film has generated considerable curiosity. However, due to the heavy reliance on VFX, the post-production is taking time, which pushed the makers to consider a new release date. ## The movie was already in a huge clash if it had stuck to a December 5, 2025, release. There are Ranveer Singh's hugely anticipated Dhurandhar and Shahid Kapoor's Romeo, which are scheduled to hit theatres on the same date. While the clash might still affect, The Raja Saab is now relatively safe when it comes to the Hindi market, which has been a major contributor to Prabhas' films since Baahubali. ## The plot revolves around a young man, who sets his eyes on his ancestral property to ease him out of a cash crunch. It stars Prabhas, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan (in her Telugu film debut), Riddhi Kumar, Jisshu Sengupta, Boman Irani, Zarina Wahab, Brahmanandam, and Samuthirakani, in key roles. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Kochi, July 19 - Superstar Rajinikanth's gangster action drama Coolie is easily the most hyped Tamil and one of the most anticipated Indian movies of the year. The film is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, and this marks his first collaboration with the superstar. ## The theatrical rights of Coolie have reportedly been locked in most areas, and the details about the film's Kerala distribution rights have been revealed. The makers officially announced on Friday that Hassan Meenu Associates has acquired the film's rights to release in the state, and according to reliable reports, the deal is locked for 14 crores. ## Biggest deal for a Rajinikanth-starrer but fails to beat Leo and The GOAT among Tamil movies in Kerala ## Despite the record-breaking theatrical deal for a Rajinikanth-starrer, Coolie falls behind Thalapathy Vijay's Leo and The Greatest of All Time in Kerala. Leo's Kerala rights sold for 16 crores, and it went on to become a big, profitable venture in the state. ## Vijay's The GOAT, however, despite scoring the biggest deal with 17 crores, turned into a big disaster at the Kerala box office. ## Break-even target for Coolie in Kerala ## To emerge as a clean box office, Coolie will need to score around 35 crores gross collection in Kerala. As said, the film is carrying positive buzz among the audience, and if the word of mouth aligns with the buzz, then it can easily break even and might go on to become a huge blockbuster. ## About Coolie ## Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie stars Rajinikanth in the lead role alongside Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Sathyaraj, and Aamir Khan (cameo) in prominent roles. It will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada on August 14 worldwide. ## Stay tuned...