Coolie Box Office Collection Week 1: Rajinikanth's Film Earns ₹222.5 Crore, Faces Sharp Decline After Record Start

Superstar Rajinikanth's Coolie opened to earth-shattering numbers at the box office, but its first week trend has raised eyebrows. After registering the superstar's career-best opening, the action-thriller witnessed consistent drops over the week, dampening its long-term prospects.

The film collected an estimated Rs 222.5 crore in India in its first week, including Rs 6.50 crore on Day 7 (Wednesday, August 20) across all languages, according to a report in Sacnilk.

On Wednesday, Coolie witnessed low audience turnout across all markets. The Tamil version recorded just about one-fifth occupancy, the Hindi version drew barely over a tenth of viewers, while the Telugu version managed a little under one-sixth of the seats filled in cinemas.

Day-Wise Breakdown:

On the first day of its release, the film collected an impressive Rs 65 crore. It took a thunderous start, delivering the biggest-ever opening day for Rajinikanth. Massive hype and advance bookings drove housefull shows, especially in Tamil Nadu.

It earned Rs 54.75 crore on the second day as the Independence Day holiday gave the film another strong boost, though it couldn't surpass its Day 1 numbers as expected.

Day 3: Rs 39.50 crore - Collections dropped further on Saturday, indicating that mixed reviews and word-of-mouth were beginning to affect footfalls.

Day 4: Rs 35.25 crore - Traditionally, Sunday brings a surge for big films, but Coolie couldn't match its opening numbers and showed only a modest hold.

Day 5: Rs 12 crore: The real test began on the first working day, and the film faced a sharp fall.

Day 6: Rs 9.50 crore: The downward trend continued with another noticeable drop.

By the end of its first week, Coolie was running at much lower occupancy levels, a far cry from its thunderous opening.

Where does Coolie stand?

Crossing over Rs 200 crore in its opening week is a remarkable achievement. However, the steep decline after its record-breaking start is an alarming sign for the makers. With a reported budget of Rs 350 crore, the film still needs to collect at least Rs 350 crore in India to enter the safe zone.

As Coolie heads into its second week, all eyes are on whether Rajinikanth's mass appeal can sustain collections or if the film's downward trend will continue.

About the film

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Sun Pictures, the action-packed entertainer features a stellar ensemble cast including Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan and Aamir Khan.

It hit the big screens on August 14 and clashed with Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani and Jr NTR's War 2.