Coolie vs War 2: Rajinikanth's ₹50 Cr Advance Booking vs Hrithik's 5000-Screen Takeover

Rajinikanth’s Coolie and YRF’s War 2 will arrive together. Still, the battleground is already heating up with one side breaking advance booking records, and the other side locking down a massive screen share.

Out of the ₹50 crore advance, ₹32 crore comes from the international market, with predictions to cross ₹52 crore before release. In India, the craze is equally strong. Tamil Nadu clocked ₹7 crore in a single day, Kerala ₹4.5 crore, and Karnataka ₹2 crore in just 12 hours. Telugu numbers are awaited. In a rare move for a South film, the Hindi dubbed version got a four-day early advance booking window.

The film’s casting is a masterstroke, Rajinikanth leading, joined by Nagarjuna from Telugu cinema, Upendra from Kannada, Shobin Shahir from Malayalam, and Aamir Khan for the Hindi belt. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s track record, Anirudh’s hit songs & BGM, and strategic multi-industry casting have turned Coolie into an event.

However, there are a few factors that could work against it. The A-rated certificate limits family audiences, and at 2 hours and 50 minutes, the runtime could reduce repeat viewings. More importantly, the Hindi belt is heavily dominated by War 2’s control, leaving Coolie with barely 10% of screens.

While Coolie is winning the hype game, War 2 is playing an entirely different strategy screen monopoly.

YRF has locked over 5000 Indian screens, with 36 IMAX, and near-total control of single screens in the Hindi belt. Many single and double-screen cinemas have been instructed to give War 2 90–100% of their shows. Starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, the film carries the Spy Universe brand, and rumours of Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan cameos could fuel word-of-mouth.

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Marketing has been underwhelming with no major joint promotions with Hrithik & Jr. NTR, and the songs and trailer have received a cooler response compared to Coolie’s music hype. Advance booking at the time of reporting stood at ₹6.5 crore in India, far behind Coolie’s figures, and response from the Telugu audience has been limited despite Jr. NTR’s involvement.

Coolie is riding an emotional wave of Rajinikanth fandom, strong overseas pull, and multi-industry casting, but is restricted by limited Hindi screens.

YRF has brute-force distribution power and control over the Hindi belt, but is currently trailing in hype and early bookings. Early estimates suggest Coolie could open to ₹80–90 crore worldwide, while War 2 has the potential to post massive Hindi collections if the content connects. In the end, the real winner won’t be decided by advance booking or screen count, but by audience verdict once the curtains rise on 14 August.