The curtain has been raised. The countdown begins. Rajinikanth or Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR - who will have the last smile?
On August 14, two grand actioners will hit the theatres. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie marks Rajinikanth's 171st film. On the other hand, Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR have collaborated for the first time in a sequel to the 2019 film War. Both films have been backed by Yash Raj Films. As the advance bookings of the two films have begun, trade experrts Taran Adarsh and Komal Nahta spoke to NDTV about the number game and their expectations from the films.
Is Coolie Racing Ahead Of War 2?
Going by the initial numbers of Sacnilk till Tuesday morning, Rajinikanth's film seems to stand far ahead of Hrithik Roshan's War 2. Trade expert Taran Adarsh tells NDTV, "Coolie has clearly taken a big, big lead across the globe. Talk about international sales, domestic sales, the margin is huge. There's no comparison as such. They are not even fighting neck-to-neck."
According to Adarsh, the advance collection of War 2 doesn't look promising at the moment. "War 2 in the Hindi sector has not shown the sales that one would expect from an event film. All eyes are on the Telugu bookings, which will be opened today. Hopefully, the Telugu numbers would make the gap narrower for the Hrithik Roshan film," Adarsh tells NDTV.
Trade expert Komal Nahta differs slightly from Adarsh's view. "As of now, Rajinikanth's film is far ahead in the South. In the rest of India, War 2 is racing ahead. It's clearly divided."
As per trade tracker Sacnilk, the advance bookings of Coolie stand at Rs 19.79 crore (gross) in India till now. The collection of Ayan Mukerji's action film War 2 stand at Rs 4.71 crore (gross) as per Sacnilk.
However, table can always be turned. Taran Adarsh tells us, "We have to wait till Thursday to know the exact numbers. Among other factors, word-of-mouth will help to boost the numbers."
Expectations From War 2 And Coolie
Komal Nahta and Taran Adarsh both have huge expectations from the films. "I think, both the films will be big hits. Craze is tremendous. Coolie, being a Rajinikanth film, no questions asked. But people are underestimating the power of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR combo. I think, it will create havoc at the box office," says Nahta to NDTV.
Echoing the similar sentiment, Taran Adarsh says, "The expectation is humongous.But let's wait a bit and see the films and then we can pass our final comment."
About Coolie And War 2
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie marks Rajinikanth's 171st film. The movie also features Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir and Sathyaraj in key roles. Aamir Khan will make a cameo appearance in the film. Coolie is produced by Kalanithi Maran's Sun Pictures.
War 2 marks the first collaboration between Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. The film also features Kiara Advani in a key role. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, War 2 is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster of the same name. The action thriller is part of YRF's spy thriller universe and is produced by the studio.
The Final Words
In terms of star power, grandeur and budget, Coolie and War 2 have a fair competition. But will they pass the litmus test of bringing in the audience to the theatres? Will the audience, who have thronged the theatres to watch a love story led by two debutantes last month, shower the same love on War 2 and Coolie? The actual war begins.