In the weekend of Independence Day 2025, Rajinikanth’s coolie and Hrithik Roshan-Junior NTR’s War 2 took a tremendous collision at the box office, both were released on August 14. Lokesh Kanagaraja’s porter, a mass-action thriller, has moved forward in India entering a club of Rs 200 crore within 5-6 days, while Ayan Mukerji’s War 2, which is a sequel to YRF spy universe, lags behind despite strong global performance.

Coolie
Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan and Aamir Khan starrer Kuli earned a net of Rs 194.25 crore till the fourth day, Rs 12 crore (initial estimates) on the fifth day and thus the total gross in India increased to Rs 206.5 crore. According to Ramesh Bala on X, globally, it crossed Rs 320 crore in three days and became the fastest Tamil film touching the figure. Its Tamil version gained an edge with 58.35% audience, based on the story of Rajinikanth’s charisma and a vigilant person struggling with a corrupt port syndicate.

War 2 performance
According to Caikanilk, Hrithik Roshan, Junior NTR and Kiara Advani starrer War 2 earned a net of Rs 8.5 crore on the fifth day and earned a net of Rs 183.25 crore in India by the fifth day. According to the Indian Express, globally, it earned a gross of Rs 268.25 crore in four days, but faced criticism for its approximate story and weak VFX. Despite the strong Telugu performance (74.97% of the audience number), it is behind the coolie, especially in the southern markets.

Market Dynamics
According to X posts, the southern dominance of the porter, especially in Tamil Nadu, and in North America, have a brilliant gross of $ 6.12 million, more than $ 3.09 million of War 2. Mixed reviews damaged War 2, but its star power keeps it competitive.

Coolie is ready to challenge Leo’s record of Rs 400 crore in India, while War 2 needs a strong campaign to bridge the difference of Rs 19 crore. Both films have promoted a weekend of Rs 430 crore, which reflects the global attraction of Indian cinema. Pinkvilla,