On August 14, the Indian box office saw a major showdown between Rajinikanth’s much-awaited Coolie and Hrithik Roshan–Jr NTR’s War 2. Both films were expected to deliver stellar business numbers, and each opened strongly.

However, in comparison, Yash Raj Films’ big-budget action spectacle War 2 fell short against Rajinikanth’s high-octane action thriller Coolie.

War 2 Opening Collection

According to trade tracking platform Sacnilk, War 2, the sixth installment in the YRF Spy Universe and a sequel to War (2019), raked in ₹52.50 crore on its opening day across all languages. This figure includes ₹29 crore from the Hindi version, ₹23.25 crore from the Telugu version, and ₹25 lakh from the Tamil version.

In terms of occupancy, the film clocked 16.37% in the morning shows, 23.67% in the afternoon, 29% in the evening, and 47.90% during the night shows, indicating a gradual rise in audience turnout through the day.

Coolie’s Opening Collection

Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, and Aamir Khan starrer Coolie received mixed to positive reviews from critics, but the audience response was nothing short of phenomenal. As per Sacnilk, the film delivered a staggering ₹65 crore opening in India.

Occupancy numbers were impressive throughout the day, with 81.95% in the morning, 85.13% in the afternoon, 86.57% in the evening, and peaking at 94.32% in the night shows. Trade analysts further reported that Coolie grossed ₹150 crore worldwide on day one, marking the highest-ever opening for a Tamil film.

Why War 2 Lagged Behind

While War 2 secured the biggest opening in Bollywood for 2025, surpassing Vicky Kaushal’s Chhava (₹31 crore), it still trailed Coolie in day-one earnings. Industry insiders attribute this gap to the film’s largely negative reviews, which impacted audience pull. Nevertheless, with the Independence Day holiday boost, War 2 is expected to post strong numbers in the coming days.