Rajinikanth Films Underperformance In Tamil Nadu

Rajinikanth's action drama Coolie has performed well at the box office after a moderate second weekend. The film has collected Rs 310 crore nett in India in 11 days, with Rs 270 crore grossed in the first week and Rs 40 crore grossed in the next four days. The film's collections in different territories are impressive, with Tamil Nadu contributing Rs 135 crore, AP/TG Rs 66 crore, Kerala Rs 25 crore, Karnataka Rs 40 crore, and North India Rs 44 crore.

Despite its overall success, Coolie has underperformed in Tamil Nadu, with trade experts believing that it could have collected around Rs 155-160 crore in the state. The film's collections in Tamil Nadu are Rs 135 crore in 11 days, and reaching the Rs 150 crore mark looks like a tough task. This underperformance is not new for Rajinikanth's films, which have consistently done 10-15% lower than expectations in the main market of Tamil cinema.

Rajinikanth's recent films, including Kabali, Petta, and Jailer, have shown a similar trend of underperformance in Tamil Nadu. Kabali, despite having poor word of mouth managed to do well in other areas but not in Tamil Nadu. Petta outshined Viswasam in all areas except Tamil Nadu, where Viswasam took a clear lead. Jailer, which set new records everywhere for Kollywood, failed to beat Ponniyin Selvan 1 and did not cross the Rs 200 crore mark.

The performance of Coolie in the third weekend, aided by the Vinayaka Chavithi festival, will be crucial in determining its overall success. If the film does well, it can still cross the Rs 150 crore mark in Tamil Nadu. However, given the trend of Rajinikanth's films underperforming in the state, it remains to be seen how Coolie will fare in the long run.