Coolie Finally Hits Theatres, Rajinikanth Fans Throng To Cinema Halls Dancing, Bursting Crackers

Absolute chaos broke out at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre for the first screening of ‘Coolie.’

Rajinikanth fans practically took over the place, dancing in the aisles the moment “Chikiti Vibe” hit the speakers, and police were on high alert, probably still smarting from earlier incidents with overzealous crowds.

Coolie release: Rajinikanth fans celebrate

This wasn’t just some local celebration. Two companies from Singapore actually gave their Tamil employees paid leave to catch ‘Coolie’ on opening day.

Not to be outdone, a bunch of Indian firms jumped on the bandwagon and declared August 14th a holiday too. Rajinikanth’s fans weren’t holding back, either—they spent days leading up to the release making temple offerings, praying for box office glory, and turning theatres across India into makeshift festival grounds.

Will Rajinikanth’s Coolie make new records? 

It’s no exaggeration to say ‘Coolie’ is the year’s biggest release. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj—the guy behind ‘Maanagaram,’ ‘Vikram,’ and ‘Leo’—the film’s hype was off the charts. Every ticket for the 6 am shows in Thiruvananthapuram vanished, though, interestingly, there was none of the usual fanfare in Kerala’s capital.

No massive cutouts, no fireworks, no wild street dancing. Local movie fans said they were keeping the hype in check too much buildup can lead to a letdown.

Lokesh himself told The Hollywood Reporter about pitching the story to Rajinikanth, recalling how he nervously asked, “Is this your style? Would you like to act in this film?” Rajinikanth didn’t even hesitate—just said “yes,” right then and there. That kind of immediate trust in a director is rare, and it says a lot about how much faith Rajinikanth had in Lokesh’s vision.

Coolie’s Box-Office

The movie’s bookings were nothing short of phenomenal. It’s already posted the third-highest opening day pre-sales for 2025, raking in over 27 crore at the Indian box office, only trailing behind ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ and ‘Game Changer.’ 

Tickets have been selling out as soon as they’re available, both in India and overseas. Down south, ‘Coolie’ is completely dominating, even while going head-to-head with ‘War 2.’

Early on, it looked like Rajinikanth’s latest would smash the previous record held by ‘Leo’ for opening day bookings (46.1 crore). Now, it may fall just short of that mark, but still, breaking 40 crore on day one is a massive achievement in itself.

ALSO READ: Kamal Haasan Showers Praises On Rajinikanth For 50 Years Of ‘Cinematic Brilliance’ As Latter Gears Up For Coolie