Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 becomes fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time in one week

Dubai: Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 has become the fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, just one week after its release.

Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the sequel to the 2023 hit Jailer has overtaken the lifetime earnings of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan I and of Coolie, Rajinikanth's own film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It has also become the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2026, passing Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion.

The film has yet to beat the original Jailer, but it is closing in.

Week one in numbers

According to trade analysts, Jailer 2 has collected Rs317.20 crore (Dh122.6 million) net in India and Rs371.45 crore (Dh143.6 million) gross.

Overseas markets have added Rs205 crore (Dh79.3 million), taking the film's worldwide gross to Rs576.45 crore (Dh222.9 million) by the end of its first week.

That puts it ahead of Drishyam: The Conclusion, which has earned Rs560 crore (Dh216.5 million) in 20 days. Ranveer Singh's spy thriller Dhurandhar 2, released in March, remains the year's biggest Indian film. Gulf News reported in April that it had crossed Rs1,640 crore (Dh634 million) worldwide.

Overseas audiences have played a large part in the sequel's run. Trade website Sacnilk reported that after the four-day opening weekend, international markets accounted for nearly 45 per cent of the film's worldwide total.

Overtaking Ponniyin Selvan I and Coolie

Jailer 2's worldwide total passes the lifetime gross of Ponniyin Selvan I, which Sacnilk puts at Rs488.36 crore (Dh188.8 million).

It also beats Coolie, Rajinikanth's previous release, which grossed Rs518 crore (Dh200.3 million). That moves Jailer 2 into fourth place on the list of highest-grossing Tamil films.

Its first week also coincided with the Navaratri and Dussehra holiday season, and no other major star's film was released at the same time. Collections held up through the weekdays, ahead of the film's second weekend in cinemas.

The top three Tamil films

Rajinikanth already holds the top spot. His 2018 film 2.0, the Shankar-directed sequel to Enthiran (Robot), grossed Rs691 crore (Dh267.1 million) during its run. With a reported budget of more than Rs500 crore (Dh193.3 million), it was considered an average performer in trade terms, but no Tamil film has outgrossed it since.

In second place is Vijay's Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, which earned Rs605.90 crore (Dh234.2 million) worldwide in 2023.

The original Jailer is close behind at Rs604.74 crore (Dh233.8 million). Jailer 2 is now Rs28.29 crore (Dh10.9 million) short of its predecessor.

Records from the opening weekend

Jailer 2 opened worldwide on October 15. After its extended four-day opening weekend, Sacnilk listed several records for the film:

• The biggest four-day worldwide opening for a Tamil film, at Rs418.25 crore (Dh161.7 million)

• The fastest Tamil film to cross Rs300 crore worldwide, in three days, and Rs400 crore, in four days

• The highest opening-day overseas gross among Indian films of 2026, at Rs57 crore (Dh22 million)

• Rajinikanth's biggest four-day worldwide opening of his career

Who is in Jailer 2

Rajinikanth returns as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, the retired jailer from the first film. Produced by Sun Pictures, the sequel features Mohanlal, Shivarajkumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Vidya Balan and Vijay Sethupathi, with Anirudh Ravichander back as composer.

Watching it in the UAE

Jailer 2 is showing at selected cinemas across the UAE, including VOX Cinemas and Reel Cinemas. It is screened in Tamil with English and Arabic subtitles and is rated PG15.