Will Rajinikanth’s Coolie cross historic Rs 1 billion mark after shattering pre-sales?

This week marks a golden milestone, as Rajinikanth completes 50 years in cinema and his fans are getting the best celebration gift: the release of Coolie. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the much-anticipated crime thriller hits theatres this Thursday, August 14, and is already on track to deliver one of the biggest openings ever for an Indian film worldwide.

Advance bookings in India smash records

By Monday morning, Coolie had raked in Rs 14 crore in advance ticket sales within India alone. Tamil audiences are leading the charge, with the native version contributing Rs 13.7 crore, followed by the dubbed Hindi (Rs 22 lakh), Telugu (Rs 7 lakh), and Kannada (Rs 85,000) versions. Including block bookings, the domestic total currently stands at a staggering Rs 20.26 crore.

On BookMyShow, ticket pre-sales have already crossed 706,000—a figure that edges past Rajinikanth’s last release Vettaiyan. In fact, the superstar now holds 3 of the top 5 Tamil pre-sale records, alongside Leo (2.28 million), Jailer (1.19 million), and The Greatest Of All Time (1.19 million).

Worldwide numbers soar past ₹50 crore

The momentum isn’t limited to India. International bookings for Coolie opened weeks ago, and according to Sacnilk, the film has already crossed the Rs 50 crore mark globally in advance sales. And with just days to go—and an extended Independence Day weekend ahead—industry trackers are predicting the film could easily surpass Rs 100 crore worldwide on opening day. If that happens, Coolie won’t just be Tamil cinema’s biggest-ever opener, but also one of Indian cinema’s most explosive debuts.

The film and the festival

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj (Kaithi, Master, Vikram) and produced by Sun Pictures, Coolie expands the popular Lokesh Cinematic Universe (“Lokiverse”). The film also features a star-studded cast including Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir, with music by Anirudh Ravichander.

Coolie has been given an A (Adults Only) certificate by the censor board—Rajinikanth’s first in many years—signalling raw, high-octane action. The story follows Deva, “a mysterious man who takes a stand against a corrupt syndicate exploiting and abusing the workers of a port town.”