Will Coolie will be the first Kollywood film to reach the Rs 1000 crore milestone. There are a couple of significant factors that could make this a challenging goal. The film has received an 'A' certificate from the Censor Board. An 'A' rating restricts the film to viewers 18 and older, which can limit its total audience size. Recently, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga stated that his Animal and Arjun Reddy lost out on a good segment of the family audience due to the 'A' rating.
A clash with War 2 is another major challenge. The theatrical release on August 14, 2025, puts Rajinikanth's Coolie in direct competition with War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR. This clash will lead to a division of screens, especially in North India, and could potentially impact the film's overall box office performance across the country. In the Telugu States, War 2 will put up a strong show against Coolie, considering Jr NTR is a major Telugu star.
Rs 1000 Cr movies like KGF 2, Pushpa 2 and RRR had unexpected elements and the sequel buzz (two of the state examples). Kollywood movies struggle to achieve universal sensibilities. While Rajinikanth is a superstar, it can be boring for the Hindi audience to see him walk, walk and walk in many scenes. The magnitude of surprise value he can deliver as a performer is very limited. On the other hand, the heroes of Pushpa 2 and RRR packed many punches with their performances. Ranbir Kapoor's Animal was a Rs 900 Cr grosser; the hero was terrific. Can Rajinikanth match the aura of young heroes in Coolie? Highly unlikely.
