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Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie and Ayan Mukerji’s War 2 locked horns at the box office over the Independence Day weekend, but the results after five days reveal a stark contrast in their trajectories.

Coolie Holds Strong Despite Dip

Released on August 14, Rajinikanth’s Coolie stormed into theatres with a ₹65 crore opening. The film dipped in the following days — ₹54.75 crore on Friday, ₹39.5 crore on Saturday, and ₹35.25 crore on Sunday. Monday saw a sharp fall to ₹9.36 crore, yet its total India net touched ₹203.86 crore in just five days.

The Tamil version registered 30% occupancy, while the Telugu version held 21%. The worldwide gross crossed ₹400 crore over the weekend, with Coolie eyeing Rajinikanth’s previous milestones like Darbar (₹247 crore) and Vettaiyan (₹253 crore). While matching Jailer’s mammoth ₹604 crore may be ambitious, the film remains commercially strong despite mixed reviews.

War 2 Faces a Steep Decline

In contrast, War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, has struggled to maintain momentum. The film earned an impressive ₹174.75 crore net in India over its four-day opening weekend but showed alarming trends — a 42% dip on Saturday and no growth on Sunday.

By Monday, the collections crashed to ₹7.52 crore, a 76% drop from the previous day. With a total of ₹182.27 crore in five days, the film faces an uphill task to sustain. Despite crossing ₹200 crore gross worldwide, its reported ₹400 crore budget looms large, making recovery difficult.

While Coolie benefits from Rajinikanth’s star power and festive weekend push, War 2’s steep decline signals trouble for its long-term run. The box office race now depends on whether Coolie can sustain beyond its opening buzz and if War 2 can stabilise before fading out.