Rajinikanth’s ‘Coolie’ smashes into U.S. Top 5 openings for Indian films

Superstar Rajinikanth has once again proved why he continues to be one of Indian cinema’s biggest global forces. His latest outing, the high-octane action entertainer Coolie, has stormed into the U.S. box office charts with a phenomenal USD 3.95 million gross on its Thursday opening day, including USD 3.04 millionfrom Wednesday previews. This stunning start has propelled Coolie into the record books as the fifth-biggest opening day ever for an Indian film in the U.S.

For perspective, Coolie now finds itself in elite company alongside some of Indian cinema’s most iconic global blockbusters. Topping the chart remains Kalki 2898 AD, which opened to USD $5.6 million on its first Thursday, powered byUSD 3.9 million in Wednesday previews across 1,049 theatres. Close behind is S.S. Rajamouli’s epic RRR, which delivered USD 5.4 million on its Friday debut over a massive 1,200 screens. Prabhas's Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, a milestone in Indian cinema’s overseas journey, clocked in USD 4.6 million from just 419 theatres, showcasing its unparalleled demand. And Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule erupted with a USD 4.5 million Thursday debut, including USD 3.34 million from previews, across 1,245 theatres. That places Coolie at number five with its USD 3.95 million launch.


Trade circles in the U.S. are already abuzz with the film’s long-weekend prospects. Based on the explosive opening and strong advance sales for Friday and Saturday shows, Coolie is eyeing a USD 6 million to USD $8 million four-day opening weekend in North America alone. But the film still has a long way to go as it’s breakeven point has been pegged at USD 7.5 million which means the film will have to spend a lot of time at the box office to put everyone in the green zone.

For now, Coolie sits proudly at No. 5 on the list of all-time biggest opening days for Indian films in the U.S testament to the superstar’s enduring magic and the unstoppable rise of Indian cinema on the world stage.Coolie also features names like Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, and Rachita Ram. Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan also makes a cameo appearance.


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