The box office battle between Coolie and War 2 has become a salient saga. The releases are awaited, on 14th August, and the thrill is just getting a bit itchy. And the cure for this itch is a ‘cinephile’s tête-à-tête’ on, which movie shall call it a checkmate.
The cast looks plausible, promising and pioneering. Direction gives you the head up. Looking at it, almost feels like an army pushing the edges to become the next crown holder. Here’s what I compiled of the two from the information available.
First, we have Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. The film features Rajinikanth in his 171st lead role, the film also stars Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, and Shruti Haasan, alongside Reba Monica John, Junior MGR, Kanna Ravi, Monisha Blessy, and Kaali Venkat. Well, that almost curves an epic itself. That massive ensemble, makes it axiomatic for a crescendo at the box office. With music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Girish Gangadharan, and editing by Philomin Raj, Coolie is set for a grand worldwide release on 14 August 2025 in standard, D-Box, and 4DX formats.
And then of course, War 2, helmed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. It’s this next momentum to hold in the Spy Universe. The screenplay, crafted by Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala from an original story by Chopra himself, marks the sixth chapter in the ever-expanding YRF Spy Universe.
It’s going to be a direct sequel to War (2019), the film stars Hrithik Roshan, N. T. Rama Rao Jr., and Kiara Advani in lead roles, alongside stalwarts Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor.
So, what could be the battle all about? Well, foundations!
While Coolie may have its roots deep in Tamil cinema, it isn’t staying confined to its home turf. With dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada, the film is striding confidently toward a pan-India footprint. On the flip side, War 2, the next explosive chapter in the ever-expanding YRF Spy Universe, is originally a Hindi biggie, flexing its muscles with Telugu and Tamil dubs. The battlegrounds are well-drawn: War 2 is expected to dominate the Hindi belt and the Telugu states, where Coolie might not land a solid jab. But head south to Karnataka and Kerala, and things start to get deliciously dicey. That’s where this cinematic duel truly heats up. The stakes? Sky-high for War 2. After Tiger 3 fizzled below expectations, War 2 has the unenviable task of hauling the Spy Universe back to its feet, with ₹1000 crore worldwide being the make-or-break benchmark. Anything less, and the foundation starts to tremble.
Now to tell who gets the gregarious upper hand in the upcoming cinematic slugfest would probably require a crystal ball, a tarot deck and maybe a chat with the stars (not the celebs.) And unfortunately we left our astrologer hat at home. So, what we can do here is, look at the playing field. The burden for War 2 is heavy, Coolie has the Thalaivar charm and southern firepower.
Who wins? That answer, my friend, lies hidden in how many caramel popcorn (apolitical humour only, please) tubs get counted on the 14th of August.
