Coolie 1st Day Box Office Collection: Rajini Film Gets Solid Opening In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala

Rajinikanth's Coolie has opened to mixed reviews but opened to a solid opening at the box office in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

The legion of fans of Rajinikanth ensured to give a big opening to Coolie as it made a record-breaking ₹108 crore in advance bookings worldwide, beating the single-day pre-sales benchmark set by Leo (₹100+ crore).

Tamil Nadu Dominates with Packed Houses - Morning Shows

In Tamil Nadu, the film registered an impressive 81.95% overall occupancy on Day 1. Chennai and Coimbatore emerged as top performers, each hitting 97% occupancy in morning shows, while Madurai followed closely with 87%. Salem, Vellore, Pondicherry, and Trichy witnessed near-housefull shows with 99% occupancy across the board, according to Sacnilk data.

City-wise Day-1 Tamil Occupancy

Chennai: 97% (632 shows)

Coimbatore: 97% (278 shows)

Pondicherry: 99% (53 shows)

Salem: 99% (102 shows)

Vellore: 99% (56 shows)

Trichy: 99% (90 shows)

Madurai: 87% (194 shows)

Kerala & Karnataka Deliver Exceptional Early Response

In Kerala, Kochi (89% occupancy, 342 shows) and Trivandrum (78%, 337 shows) led the charge, boosted by early morning screenings and festive fan shows. Karnataka's Bengaluru saw an extraordinary 91% occupancy across 905 shows, underscoring Rajinikanth's strong pull in the state.

Mixed Trends in the Hindi Belt

While the South embraced Coolie with near-capacity attendance, the Hindi-speaking markets reflected a more measured start. Mumbai reported 46% occupancy from its 178 shows, and the National Capital Region (NCR) stood at 50%, with the clash against War 2 possibly splitting the audience share.

Day-1 Global Collection Estimate

Early estimates indicate Coolie grossed ₹108+ crore on Day 1 - approximately ₹50 crore from India and ₹58 crore from overseas markets. As per the trade trackers, the movie has high chances of touching Rs 200-crore mark on day 1.

The Road Ahead

With colossal advance sales, packed houses in the South, and strong overseas pull, the focus now shifts to sustainability through the weekend. While competition from War 2 in the North could limit its Hindi belt growth, the Rajinikanth-Lokesh combo's pan-India appeal and the festival holiday frame may help push Coolie toward record-breaking lifetime numbers.

Meanwhile, Coolie has opened to mixed reviews. The film has a tidy first half but the second half is a mixed bag, which does not live up to the standards that Lokesh has set with his previous films.