The much-anticipated Independence Day clash between Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR’s War 2 has concluded its first week with both films surpassing ₹200 crore at the domestic box office, yet failing to meet lofty expectations set by their star power and budgets. Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, amassed ₹229.75 crore, leveraging Rajinikanth’s unmatched charisma, while War 2, a YRF Spy Universe sequel helmed by Ayan Mukerji, earned ₹204.25 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Coolie, marking Rajinikanth’s 171st film, opened with a record-breaking ₹65 crore, dominating Tamil markets with ₹45 crore on day one and achieving 92.10% Telugu occupancy. Despite mixed reviews, its star-studded cast, including Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Sathyaraj, and a cameo by Aamir Khan, propelled it to ₹404 crore worldwide.

War 2, featuring Hrithik Roshan as rogue agent Kabir and Jr NTR’s Bollywood debut as Vikram, collected ₹150.4 crore in Hindi, ₹52.2 crore in Telugu, and ₹1.65 crore in Tamil. Its ₹29 crore Hindi opening surged to ₹44 crore on Independence Day but plummeted post-weekend due to lukewarm reviews criticizing its VFX and pacing.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh labeled War 2 a “flop” and the first underperformer in YRF’s Spy Universe, emphasizing that “content makes the difference.” He noted Coolie’s strong Tamil belt performance but its failure to resonate in Hindi markets. Both films faced challenges from the Saiyaara phenomenon, a romantic blockbuster that reshaped release strategies for films like Son of Sardaar 2 and Param Sundari.

As Coolie maintains a lead, the coming weeks will determine if either film can regain momentum amidst fierce competition.

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