Coolie is shattering box office records even before its release this week. The Rajinikanth starrer has already crossed the ₹100 crore ($11.4 million) mark at the box office thanks to pre-release sales. The movie has sold a whopping 12 lakh tickets (1.2 million) in India. In the US markets, the movie took in over $2 million in pre-release sales, beating out the record of $1.9 million set by Rajinikanth’s 2016 film Kabali. The movie marks the first collaboration between director Lokesh Kanagaraj and the superstar.
Coolie is shattering records at the box office
According to a report by Sacnilk, Coolie has sold 12,46,828 tickets in India, collecting a gross of ₹27.01 crore ($3.8 million). The film’s Tamil dub sold over 10 lakh (1 million) tickets, followed by 1 lakh (100K) from the Telugu dub. In Tamil Nadu, the movie took in ₹11.97 crore ($1.3 million), ₹1.46 crore ($166K) in Andhra Pradesh, ₹1.69 crore ($192K) in Telangana and ₹6.85 crore ($781K) in Karnataka.
Coolie hype is sweeping the nation
Coolie is one of the most anticipated releases of 2025. The hype surrounding the film has reached astronomical levels, with many reports suggesting that the film has the potential to gross ₹500 crores ($57 million) from pre-release business, which includes advance ticket sales, OTT and satellite rights.
What is Coolie about?
Coolie centres on Rajinikanth’s character Deva, a seasoned gold smuggler, who is forced out of retirement when his close friend is murdered by a new and powerful cartel led by Simon, played by Nagarjuna. The movie also marks the Tamil debut of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, who is playing the role of Dahaa. The actor will have an extended cameo in the film and is rumoured to be playing a villain.
Coolie’s ensemble star cast
Reportedly made on a massive budget of ₹400 crores ($46.6 million), Coolie ranks among the most expensive Indian films ever produced. The supporting cast includes Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Reba Monica John, and Junior MGR. The movie is scheduled to release on August 14, 2025.