The past weekend witnessed a high-stakes box office battle, as major releases such as Hrithik Roshan’s War 2, Rajinikanth’s Coolie, and the animated mythological film Mahavatar Narasimha competed for audience attention across theatres in India. As expected, Sunday saw an incredible surge in turnout, further intensifying the clash and providing clear signals on the audience’s current box office preferences. Among these, Rajinikanth’s Coolie emerged as the strongest performer on Sunday, collecting an impressive ₹34 crore on its fourth day, thereby surpassing Hrithik Roshan’s War 2, which registered a solid—but slightly lower—₹31.3 crore on the same day.

The battle between Coolie vs War 2 is gradually shaping into one of the most interesting box office rivalries of the year. While War 2 benefits from the combination of a high-octane action storyline starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, Coolie capitalises heavily on Rajinikanth’s unmatched star power and the nostalgia factor of classic commercial entertainers. Despite the fact that War 2 has crossed ₹173.91 crore in just four days with a massive budget of ₹400 crore, it is Coolie that has managed to create a stronger momentum heading into its first full week, already collecting ₹198.25 crore and recovering more than half of its ₹350 crore production budget.

The Sunday boost was critical for both films. For War 2, it demonstrated that the audience is still showing up for thrillers and large-scale action films on the big screen, especially when backed by strong franchises and high-end production. The film’s ₹31.3 crore collection on Sunday helped it pass the ₹170 crore mark in only four days, placing it on a relatively fast trajectory toward the ₹200 crore milestone.
However, the slightly higher ₹34 crore haul of Coolie indicates that the popularity of South Indian blockbusters among nationwide audiences is far from slowing down. Rajinikanth’s loyal fans across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala thronged theatres on Sunday, creating a celebratory atmosphere and pushing the film ahead of its competitor. Even in the Hindi-speaking regions, multiplexes registered strong occupancy for Coolie as word-of-mouth around Rajinikanth’s electrifying performance continues to spread.

Meanwhile, the animated mythological film Mahavatar Narasimha quietly continued its successful theatrical run—now completing 24 continuous days in theatres—earning ₹8 crore on its 24th day. What makes this number even more impressive is that the film has been produced on a budget of only ₹4 crore and has already amassed a total collection of ₹210.35 crore. Not only has it become one of the biggest surprises of 2025, but it has also demonstrated that animated mythological storytelling has a devoted and growing audience in India.

Coolie vs War 2: Day-Wise Box Office Performance and Early Trends

When comparing day-wise performance, War 2 had a stronger opening day, leveraging its massive pre-release hype and the big-screen pairing of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. However, Coolie has shown stronger daily hold, particularly in the southern belt, which has helped the film take a slight lead in cumulative collections after the fourth day:

The difference of ₹2.7 crore in Sunday earnings, though small, reveals a broader trend: audiences currently appear more inclined toward traditional mass entertainers, particularly those elevated by iconic stars such as Rajinikanth. War 2, having a larger budget and global marketing push, is still expected to cross multiple milestones in its first week, but it faces tougher long-term competition from Coolie, which has struck an emotional chord among its audience.

What is also notable is that Coolie has recovered more than 50% of its production cost within just four days, and its exceptionally strong reception in tier-II and tier-III cities suggests the film could secure a strong extended run. War 2, in contrast, will have to rely on strong weekday trends to meet its break-even point and cross into profitable territory, as its massive budget means it needs to sustain consistently high footfalls for at least two full weeks.

Mahavatar Narasimha: The Silent Box Office Winner

The unexpected box office sensation continues to be Mahavatar Narasimha. On its 24th day, it brought in ₹8 crore, taking its total collections to a remarkable ₹210.35 crore. Considering the film’s budget was merely ₹4 crore, this is a staggering return on investment and one of the most profitable Indian films of recent times.

The film’s success is fuelled by strong family audiences, especially in small towns and temple towns where devotional and mythological narratives have deep-rooted viewership. Unlike typical large-scale theatrical releases, Mahavatar Narasimha has experienced minimal weekday declines, maintaining consistent collections over the last three weeks. Its extended momentum is also partially attributed to the fact that families are re-watching the film in theatres, a rare trend for animated movies in India.

Saiyaara and Udaipur Files: One Journey Ends, Another Struggles

In the midst of these high-profile releases, Saiyaara and Udaipur Files wrapped up their box office journeys with contrasting results.
Saiyaara, featuring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, completed its theatrical run after almost a month, leaving box offices on Saturday with a final collection of ₹323.87 crore. The film will now move to OTT platforms, where it is widely expected to attract viewers who missed its theatrical run.

On the other hand, Udaipur Files has struggled to make an impact. The film has so far collected only ₹1.59 crore, indicating that certain genres—particularly issue-based political dramas—require very strong reviews or promotional campaigns to succeed in a crowded release calendar.

Audience Behaviour and the Power of the Sunday Surge

One of the key takeaways from this weekend is the growing strength of Sunday as a make-or-break day for major film releases. The surge in Sunday footfalls for Coolie and War 2 highlights just how important a well-executed weekend strategy is for box office sustainability.
Audiences—particularly in metro areas—continue to prioritise the weekend for theatrical viewing. Those who have resumed weekday office routines after the pandemic now treat Sunday as the primary movie outing day, often combining it with family outings or festive celebrations. As a result, the ability of a film to create buzz and excitement ahead of Sunday has become a crucial factor for reaching blockbuster status.

For Rajinikanth, who has an incredibly loyal weekend audience base, Sunday has always been a day when his films show strong upward trends. With Coolie maintaining that pattern in 2025, it signals that the combination of mass storytelling, nostalgia and larger-than-life cinema still holds significant influence over audience choices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Coolie vs War 2 box office clash firmly tilted in favour of Rajinikanth this weekend, with Coolie dominating the Sunday collections and emerging as the top earner on Day 4. Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 continues to post strong numbers and remains on track toward recovering its massive budget, but Coolie’s lead and stronger word-of-mouth give it a clear edge heading into the weekdays.
At the same time, Mahavatar Narasimha’s astounding performance, driven by family audiences and devotional content, continues to surprise industry observers and sets a new benchmark for low-budget animated films in India.
With Saiyaara closing its theatrical run successfully and Udaipur Files struggling to stay afloat, the past weekend once again reminds us that audience tastes are shifting rapidly, and content variety—from action thrillers and mass entertainers to animated mythology—is playing an increasingly important role in the Indian box office ecosystem.

As all eyes turn toward the weekday trends, it remains to be seen whether War 2 can regain its momentum or Coolie will continue its steady march toward the ₹300 crore mark. Either way, the battle for box office supremacy has officially begun, and the coming week promises even more twists in the blockbuster race.

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