Rs 130 Cr at Stake As ‘War 2’ and ‘Coolie’ Lock Horns
Both star-studded films are going all out to capture audiences across the country, with both strategic casting and clever business moves
It has been a while since dubbed films created 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, Tamil legend Rajinikanth returns with the mass entertainer Coolie, also 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.
High Stakes for Distributors
The Telugu dubbing rights of War 2 reportedly sold for a massive Rs 80 crore, while Coolie fetched around Rs 50 crore. Around Rs 130 crore is riding on the two films together, creating a high-risk, high-reward gamble for producers and distributors.
Special shows & ticket price hikes
· War 2 has secured permission for special 5:00 a.m. shows, with tickets priced at Rs 500.
· From August 14 to 23, single-screen tickets in Andhra Pradesh will see a Rs 75 hike and multiplex tickets a Rs 100 hike, making them Rs 222 and Rs 277 respectively.
· Coolie gets almost the same price hike in AP.
· In Telangana, however, no hike has been approved. No special shows have been permitted either.
Speak out
“I think both are very strong films with great box office draw. Both have a North-South appeal. Hrithik and Tarak (Jr NTR) in War 2, Rajini Sir, me and Aamir in Coolie. So both should and must do well.”
— Nagarjuna, actor
“Why are you looking at it as a battle? Why can’t the two films co-exist at the box office? If you remember, my Lagaan was released on the same Friday as Gadar. And both were blockbusters. I am hopeful that War 2 and Coolie will meet the same fate.”
— Aamir, actor
“War 2 has secured the maximum screens in North India and is expected to lead in the Hindi version. Coolie, meanwhile, has taken a commanding lead in overseas markets and is sure to dominate in Tamil Nadu. The craze for the Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj combination is nothing short of phenomenal.”
— Taran Adarsh, trade guru (As told to Subhash K. Jha)
