Title clash alert: the showdown between Coolie starring Rajinikanth and War 2 headlined by Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR is already grabbing headlines — and Coolie appears to have surged ahead decisively.
Advance Booking Trend
Advance ticket sales across India are leaning heavily in Rajinikanth’s favour, Coolie. According to Sacnilk, Coolie has amassed approximately ₹19.7 crore nationally in advance bookings, compared to War 2’s ₹4.7 crore — a significant lead . From a regional perspective, the gap is staggering in North America: Coolie has crossed the $1 million mark, dwarfing War 2’s $200,000 pre-sales .
Fan Anticipation and Frenzy
The fan fervour has translated into creative gestures. In Madurai, a local company declared a paid holiday plus free tickets for employees to catch Coolie on release day — a move celebrated widely online .
War 2 Holds Its Own
Still, War 2 is not without momentum. Its advance sales cover over 1.26 lakh tickets, bringing in ₹8.5 crore — solid figures for a simultaneous, major release . Industry experts like Taran Adarsh and Komal Nahta suggest that post-release reviews could help War 2 close the gap in time .
Pricing Controversy
Producers of both films sought permission for sharp ticket price hikes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — proposed rates could reach ₹400-plus for multiplex screenings, significantly more than original-language versions of the films . Audiences have labelled this move “exploitation,” with heated backlash across social media platforms . Fortunately, Telangana has decided against approving the hikes — for now — while Andhra Pradesh is yet to decide
What to Expect
Both Coolie and War 2 will debut on 14 August, aiming to capitalise on the Independence Day box office surge. At this stage, Coolie leads the presale battle, but War 2 might yet rally depending on early audience reactions and word-of-mouth buzz.
