The wait is almost over. The much-awaited Tamil movie Coolie hits theatres tomorrow, and the buzz around it is impossible to ignore. Ticket counters, both online and offline, have been busy since bookings opened, with sales climbing by the hour. Rajinikanth takes centre stage, Akkineni Nagarjuna steps in as the villain, and the man calling the shots is Lokesh Kanagaraj.
The talking point in trade circles is whether Coolie can top the opening day record set by Vijay’s Leo. That film, also directed by Lokesh, pulled in Rs. 148.5 crore worldwide on day one, still the benchmark for Tamil cinema. Early signs suggest Coolie might get there. It’s already raked in close to Rs. 100 crore before the first show rolls out. If today’s ticketing pace holds, day one could see history being made.
Overseas numbers are equally encouraging. In North America, Coolie is closing in on the $2 million mark before release, not something you see often with Tamil films. The rest depends on how audiences react once the curtain goes up.
The cast list is stacked: Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and a special song appearance by Pooja Hegde. Sun Pictures funds this film, with Anirudh Ravichander on the music. Tomorrow, we will know if Coolie is just another big release, or a record-breaker.