Rs 130 Cr at Stake as ‘War 2’ and ‘Coolie’ Lock Horns in AP/TS?
Ultimately, the box office verdict will be in the hands of Telugu moviegoers—it’s only a matter of time before we know which titan emerges victorious.
It has been a while since dubbed films made so much noise in Tollywood trade circles, but this Independence Day weekend is shaping up to be a blockbuster showdown. On one side, Telugu superstar Jr. NTR teams up with Bollywood’s Hrithik Roshan in the high-octane pan-India actioner War 2. On the other hand, Tamil legend Rajinikanth returns with the mass entertainer Coolie, featuring Nagarjuna and Bollywood icon Aamir Khan.
“This is a unique clash—not only between two dubbed films but also between Bollywood heavyweights in the Telugu market,” says a leading distributor. “It’s the Clash of Titans starting August 14, with War 2 and Coolie both aiming to dominate the holiday season.”
With NTR enjoying a massive fanbase across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, War 2 is expected to open in over 800 screens, while Coolie will debut in around 500 out of the 1,500 theatres in the Telugu states. “On day one, NTR’s film will have the upper hand, but post-release, content and word-of-mouth will decide which film gains or loses screens,” the distributor adds.
Special Shows & Ticket Hikes
War 2 has secured permission for special 5:00 a.m. shows, with tickets priced at ₹500. From August 14 to 23, single-screen tickets in Andhra Pradesh will see a ₹75 hike and multiplex tickets a ₹100 hike—making them ₹222 and ₹277 respectively. Coolie also gets almost the same price hike in AP.
In Telangana, however, no hike has been approved—ticket prices will remain ₹177 for single screens and ₹295 for multiplexes, with no special show permissions.
High Stakes for Distributors
The Telugu dubbing rights of War 2 reportedly sold for a massive ₹80 crore, while Coolie fetched around ₹50 crore. Together, close to ₹130 crore (rough figures) is riding on the two films, making it a high-risk, high-reward gamble for producers and distributors.
While Rajinikanth still commands deep respect among Telugu audiences, exhibitors admit NTR’s current market pull is stronger. “Coolie may start slower in AP/TS but could expand if audience response is strong,” says an exhibitor.
Ultimately, the box office verdict will be in the hands of Telugu moviegoers—it’s only a matter of time before we know which titan emerges victorious.
