Can Rajinikanth’s Coolie hit Rs 4 billion this weekend? Thalaivar’s blockbuster is 2025’s top Tamil grosser

Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, turned the Independence Day holiday into a massive box office celebration, racing past the Rs 250-crore mark worldwide in just two days, according to film industry trackers.

After two blockbuster opening days, fueled by the holiday rush, the Rajinikanth starrer shows no signs of slowing down. By 9 pm on Saturday, Sacnilk reported that Coolie had already earned Rs 31.21 crore net in India.

Day three pushed the film even closer to the Rs 150-crore milestone. With a three-day domestic net of a staggering Rs 150.96 crore, Coolie is firmly cementing itself as 2025’s biggest Tamil hit so far.

Typically, South Indian superstar films open big but face a steep drop on day two as fan clubs rush in on opening day. Coolie bucked the trend, dipping only 17% in India, earning Rs 118.50 crore net (Rs145 crore gross). Overseas, it raked in $8.75 million on day one, the highest ever for a Tamil release, and is estimated to have crossed $13 million (Rs110 crore) in two days.

Coolie now holds the crown as 2025’s highest-grossing Tamil film—and the weekend could push it even closer to the all-time Tamil record set by Rajinikanth’s 2.0. There is much hope that it can cross Rs 400 crore in the opening weekend itself, if speculative reports are to be believed.

The Thalaivar fever is everywhere, especially Dubai, where an office even gave their staff a holiday for the film. On the first day itself, crowds lined up at 2:30 am for tickets, dancing and celebrating Rajinikanth's film as well as 50 years of him in cinema.

In Singapore, Farmer Constructions PTE LTD issued a circular declaring a paid holiday for all its Tamil workers, along with a free ticket to Coolie and Singaporean $30 for expenses. Meanwhile, SB Mart PTE LTD announced its convenience store would remain closed from 7:30 to 11 AM on August 14 in honour of the film’s release.