Movies
Coolie Movie Preview: Rajinikanth"™s Diamond Jubilee Honored with Iconic Title Card as Lokesh Kanagaraj"™s Explosive Union Set to Ignite the Big Screen
With just three days to go, the wait for Superstar Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj"™s much-awaited collaboration, Coolie, is about to end. Slated for a massive worldwide release on August 14th, this magnum opus is already being hailed as one of the biggest Indian releases of the year. From its inception to its final cut, Coolie has been a journey brimming with hype, spectacle, and history in the making.Initially announced as Thalaivar 171, the official title Coolie was revealed through a thunderous announcement video, reimagining Rajinikanth"™s iconic Ranga dialogue. The clever punchline "” "œMudichidlaam ma" "” playfully mirrored Kamal Haasan"™s "œAarambikalaama" from Vikram, instantly setting the internet ablaze.Filming kicked off in July 2024, with an ensemble cast that only heightened expectations "” Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Uppendra, Soubin Shahir, and Shruti Haasan. Then came the whispers of Aamir Khan joining the project, confirmed unofficially during the Jaipur schedule in December, where he filmed crucial scenes with Rajinikanth. Uppendra later made it official in April 2025.By February, buzz erupted over Pooja Hegde"™s special dance number, which turned into the electrifying "œMonica" track released in July "” a riot of colours, infectious beats, and sizzling chemistry with Soubin Shahir. In late June, the first single "œChikitu" dropped "” a kuthu party banger by Anirudh with T. Rajendar"™s flamboyance and Arivu"™s punchy lyrics, serving vintage Rajini dance vibes straight from the 80s. ##Shot with a colossal budget of ₹375 crore (with Rajinikanth's renumeration ₹150 crore and Lokesh ₹50 crore), Coolie made history in June as the biggest overseas buy for a Tamil film, fetching over ₹75 crore.In a surprising twist, the film earned an "˜A"™ certificate "” the first in Lokesh Kanagaraj"™s career "” promising unflinching action and emotional grit. Addressing fan theories, Lokesh remarked, "œEveryone thinks Coolie is sci-fi or time travel"¦ but the truth will surprise you." The final trailer, just three minutes long, unleashed goosebumps "” combining explosive stunts, layered emotions, and a galaxy of stars. It hinted at a Rajinikanth performance unlike anything seen before.With a runtime of 170 minutes, Coolie isn"™t just a release "” it"™s a phenomenon waiting to explode. ##The excitement is further amplified as the film doubles as a diamond jubilee tribute, marking Rajinikanth"™s 50 years in Indian cinema.Director Lokesh Kanagaraj and composer Anirudh Ravichander have crafted a special, never-before-seen title card "” a cinematic homage to Thalaivar"™s golden legacy. This moment is set to resonate with fans across generations, ensuring that Coolie is not only a visual spectacle but also an emotional celebration of an icon"™s extraordinary journey. With tributes, action, music, and sheer star power colliding, Coolie promises to be more than just a movie "” it"™s history, emotion, and celebration rolled into one grand cinematic event. ##A Glance at Coolie"™s Pre-Release Collections Across Key Markets ##As of roughly four days before release, Coolie's opening-day pre-sales in India have reached around ₹14 crore gross, with the Tamil version alone contributing approximately ₹13.7 crore, followed by smaller earnings from Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada versions. ##Aggregate advance bookings across India currently stand at ₹20.26 crore. ##BookMyShow reports 706,000 tickets sold across all languages"”making it the fourth-highest pre-sales ever for a Tamil film. ##Coolie has already emerged as a North American box office powerhouse before its release, with confirmed advance sales touching USD 1.7 million across the U.S. and Canada. This includes USD 1.447 million from the U.S. alone, generated from over 56,000 tickets sold across 467 locations. ## Coolie has already surged ahead of War 2 in North American pre-sales, establishing a clear lead in the region. With momentum still building, the film is on track to achieve significantly higher opening numbers, positioning it as the stronger box office contender between the two well before release.
