The year 2025 has already proven to be a landmark year for Indian cinema at the box office. From big-ticket star vehicles to high-concept experiments, audiences have turned out in large numbers, rewarding both spectacle and novelty. This week, Rajinikanth’s Coolie added another milestone to the record books by edging out Mahavatar Narsimha to become the third biggest grosser of the year so far, amassing Rs 216 crore in just six days of its release.The first two spots have been captured by Vicky Kaushal‘s Chhaava with Rs 601.57 crore and Mohit Suri‘s Saiyaara with Rs 325.11 crore. When it comes to Coolie it’s major collections have come from Tamil version while for Mahavatar Narsimha, the Hindi version has led the charge. According to trade figures, Coolie opened with a thunderous Rs 65 crore on Thursday, riding on Rajinikanth’s pan-India appeal and high anticipation surrounding Lokesh Kanagaraj’s directorial. The film maintained strong momentum over its extended opening weekend, posting Rs 54.75 crore on Friday, Rs 39.5 crore on Saturday, and Rs 35.25 crore on Sunday. Even though collections dropped on Monday and Tuesday Rs 12 crore and Rs 9.5 crore respectively, the six-day total stood at a formidable Rs 216 crore.This tally puts Coolie just above Mahavatar Narsimha, which is holding out on screens despite facing competition from all big films since its release. The film in its 25 day run till now has collected Rs 215.49 crore. While the difference is marginal, the achievement is significant considering the competition both films faced in their theatrical journeys.For Rajinikanth, Coolie reaffirms his box office dominance after Jailer, and now joins his career’s biggest successes behind 2.0 and Jailer. The film’s success comes despite clashing with War 2 headlined by Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR.On the other hand, Mahavatar Narsimha deserves equal recognition for carving its own unique chapter in 2025’s box office story. Directed by Ashwin Kumar, the animated mythological spectacle defied conventional expectations by not only sustaining against heavyweights like Saiyaara, Son of Sardaar 2, War 2, and eventually Coolie, but also by emerging as the first Indian animation film ever to cross the Rs 200 crore mark. The Hindi version of the film has till now collected Rs 163.49 crore making it the sixth biggest Hindi hit of the year, trailing behind Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par in the Hindi market.What makes this comparison remarkable is the sheer contrast between the two films. Coolie is a Rajinikanth action entertainer designed for mass appeal, while Mahavatar Narsimha relied on storytelling innovation and the growing acceptance of animation features in India. That both films managed to cross Rs 215 crore in the same year underscores the diversity of Indian audiences’ tastes and their willingness to embrace both spectacle and substance.But while the box office collection is similar, Mahavatar is already into profit zone and its return on investment is going to be huge as compared to Coolie which is losing audience with each passing day. The true test for Coolie would be if the collections can spike over the second weekend as no new big film is releasing.
