Is it Rajinikanth’s mania or Lokesh Kanagaraj’s brand power?

“Coolie” is creating a storm in advance ticket sales both in India and overseas. In North America alone, the Rajinikanth starrer has already grossed $1.8 million from premiere shows and is expected to cross the $2 million mark. It will likely surpass Rajinikanth’s previous record of $1.9 million for Kabali (2016).

With advance bookings exceeding Rs 50 crore worldwide, “Coolie” currently dominates its rival War 2. Both films are set for a global release on August 14, 2025.

Rajinikanth mania?

Many fans and media outlets are crediting the frenzy entirely to Rajinikanth’s unmatched charisma, flooding social media with comments like, “The 74-year-old superstar is showing who’s boss!”

However, “Coolie” also boasts an ensemble cast that includes Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shruti Haasan, and Kannada star Upendra, under the direction of Lokesh Kanagaraj. The filmmaker has a stellar track record and strong youth appeal. This has led to debates over whether the hype is solely because of Rajinikanth, or equally due to Lokesh’s brand value and the multi-star cast.

If it’s all Rajini, why not before?

Critics point out that if Rajinikanth’s stardom alone could generate such massive advance sales, then why didn’t his previous films achieve similar numbers? In 2024, both “Vettaiyan” and “Lal Salaam” underperformed despite coming off the massive success of Jailer (2023).

This is why many argue that Coolie’s record-breaking pre-sales are a result of a perfect storm—Lokesh Kanagaraj’s hit-making reputation (Kaithi, Vikram), Rajinikanth’s legendary status, and the added star power of the supporting cast.

It must also be remembered that Rajinikanth’s “Kabali” set a stunning record by grossing $1.9 million from its premiere shows in the USA. However, in the nine years since, none of his films have managed to break that record. This proves that the hype around “Coolie” is not solely due to Rajinikanth’s stardom.