The pre-release buzz is heating up as Coolie and War 2 gear up for an Independence Day weekend clash. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie is making a strong impact in South India and overseas, while Yash Raj Films’ War 2 is performing well in the Hindi-speaking regions. Early advance booking numbers show a close fight between these two big films.
Rajinikanth’s Coolie Has Strong Advance Booking In India and Overseas
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Coolie has already made Rs 34.89 crore from advance bookings in India as of the morning of August 13, 2025. Over 12 lakh tickets have been sold nationwide, with Tamil audiences leading the way. Tamil tickets sold crossed 10 lakh for the opening day across 6,656 shows. The Telugu version sold over 1 lakh tickets in 1,529 shows. Hindi and Kannada ticket sales are smaller but still noteworthy.
Internationally, Coolie is setting new records for Tamil cinema. It is the first Tamil film to earn more than $2 million in advance bookings in North America. Worldwide, the film has reached about Rs 75 crore in pre-sales, including Rs 30 crore from India alone. Experts believe Coolie could open with over Rs 125 crore globally. If the audience likes it, it might even beat Leo’s Rs 143 crore opening record as the biggest Tamil film launch.
The star cast includes Rajinikanth, with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan making a cameo as Dahaa. Other key actors are Nagarjuna Akkineni, Pooja Hegde, Shruti Haasan, and Upendra. Reports say the film’s budget is around Rs 350 crore, though this is not officially confirmed.
War 2 Advance Booking: Strong Hindi Belt, Less Overseas
War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, also has good advance sales but lags behind Coolie. The film earned nearly Rs 9.8 crore in India from 346,214 tickets sold, excluding block bookings. Hindi 2D tickets made up Rs 5.7 crore from 181,000 sales, and Telugu 2D brought in Rs 3.2 crore from 148,000 tickets. Premium formats like Hindi IMAX 2D and 4DX also show interest. With block bookings, the total advance sales rise to Rs 18.09 crore.
Overseas, War 2 trails Coolie with pre-sales of about Rs 4.5 crore, mainly from Telugu-speaking audiences. In comparison, Coolie is leading the international market with estimated global pre-sales of Rs 50-60 crore, aiming to cross Rs 100 crore before its release.
This booking contest is critical for Yash Raj Films after their recent hit Saiyaara, which earned Rs 330 crore. Industry insiders say War 2 must do better than that to justify its big budget and star cast. While War 2 is strong in the Hindi market, Coolie’s control of South India and overseas markets makes this a tough box office battle. Fans are excited to see which film will win when both are released on August 14.
