Independence Day weekend: War 2 vs Coolie at the box office

Indian box offices faced a high-octane Independence Day weekend as two massive releases clashed: War 2, the Bollywood action thriller starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, and Coolie, Rajinikanth’s Tamil-led spectacle. Early data show a competitive start, with War 2 opening to a solid but softer-than-anticipated 52.5 crore across Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil, while Coolie led on day one with an opening around 65 crore in India and a global debut approaching 150 crore. By day two, Coolie had pulled ahead in total domestic earnings, while War 2 posted a strong second-day gain, underscoring the draw of both heavyweight titles during a long holiday weekend. The two films also reflect contrasting strategies: War 2 is a high-budget, cross-language instalment in a growing studio spy universe, while Coolie leverages Rajinikanth’s pan-Indian appeal and a multi-star ensemble.

War 2, directed by Ayan Mukerji, is mounted as the sixth entry in the YRF Spy Universe and marks Jr NTR’s Hindi-language debut. Reported budgets place War 2 around the Rs 400 crore mark, with Hrithik Roshan taking a large upfront fee and a back-end profit share. The film opened to 29 crore in Hindi and 23.25 crore in...