Coolie aspires to be the film that makes the Tamil cinema industry enter the Rs.1000 crore club. Despite many attempts, Kollywood has yet to break into the ₹1000-crore club—a major milestone in Indian cinema. While several high-budget Tamil films have hit theatres over the years, none have managed to cross this prestigious mark. Most have settled with collections between ₹500 crore and ₹800 crore.
Meanwhile, other industries like Tollywood and Sandalwood have already touched the ₹1000-crore mark, leaving many in Kollywood wondering: Why not us? The Tamil industry has made serious efforts to reach that level, but success has remained just out of reach.
Now, all hopes rest on superstar Rajinikanth and his upcoming film Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. With huge expectations surrounding the project, it’s being seen as Kollywood’s best chance to finally achieve this milestone. The pre-release business has already been strong—just the Telugu market alone is expected to contribute over ₹100 crore.
If Coolie fails to make it to the ₹1000-crore mark, experts believe it could be a long time before Kollywood gets another shot. That’s because, on a global scale, Rajinikanth remains the only Tamil actor with a strong worldwide reach. His previous film, Jailer, collected around ₹700 crore, proving that the potential is very much there.
There are questions about who else could take Kollywood to that level. Vijay’s Jana Gana Mana could have been a contender, but with his political entry expected soon after the film’s release, his cinematic future remains uncertain. Ajith still has star power, but he seems less interested in regular film projects. Kamal Haasan, though a legend, is currently struggling to regain his box office appeal. Other talented actors like Suriya, Karthi, Dhanush, and Vijay Sethupathi may not yet have the pan-India reach to aim for Rs 1000 crore.
So now, it all comes down to Coolie; whether the film succeeds or not may decide Kollywood’s fate in joining the elite Rs 1000 crore club. Will this be the turning point? Only time will tell.