Rajinikanth has done it again. The 75-year-old Tamil superstar’s “Jailer 2” was the second-biggest film in the world over the October 16–18 weekend, grossing $31.2 million globally, according to Rentrak estimates. Only Paramount’s “Street Fighter”, with $51.1 million, earned more.
Rajinikanth in “Jailer 2” (Credits: Variety)
Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the sequel opened in India on October 15 and banked an estimated INR224 crore ($23.5 million) across its four-day extended opening — the third-highest four-day start on record for a Tamil-language film, effectively level with another Rajinikanth vehicle, “Coolie,” which managed INR224.25 crore.
Biggest Kollywood Opening Ever
Trade trackers report the worldwide four-day haul climbed to around ₹404–424 crore, making “Jailer 2” the biggest opening weekend debut in Kollywood history, surpassing “Coolie’s” ₹371 crore. The international numbers tell their own story: roughly $19–20 million overseas, beating the previous Kollywood record held by “Leo.” The Middle East — particularly the UAE — emerged as the standout territory, with strong returns also from North America, Australia, the UK, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Pandian Returns to Protect His Family
The film sees Rajinikanth reprise his role as Muthuvel Pandian, the retired jailer from the 2023 blockbuster. This time, Pandian must protect his family and confront a lethal new underworld empire on a global scale as his past catches up with him.
Joining him are Vidya Balan, S.J. Suryah, Ramya Krishnan, and Suraj Venjaramoodu, with scene-stealing cameos from Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, and Hrithik Roshan. With the Dussehra and Puja holidays ahead, trade watchers say the film has a realistic shot at becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time — a record currently held by Rajinikanth’s own “2.0.”
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
