Sold-out shows, frenzied celebrations: ‘Coolie' mania grips UAE

Khaleej Times

11 hours ago

If it's a Rajinikanth movie, then milling crowds outside theatres and celebrations are the order of the day, in India. Dubai wasn't immune to the superstar's craze, fondly referred to as the Thalaivar by fans, with moviegoers queueing up in theatres way before the crack of dawn.
But first, a primer for the uninitiated. Superstar Rajinikanth, 74, is one of India's biggest movie stars, with fans across cities, towns and villages. He is known for his roles full of swag, style and substance — and escapist fare. His films often notch up robust box-office openings and collections. In Coolie, his 171st movie that also marked his 50th year in Indian cinema, he plays an ageing gold smuggler looking to revive his past glory.
The slow-drip release of promos for the movie, comprising a galaxy of stars such as Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra Rao, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan and Shruti Haasan, amped up the excitement by several notches.
It was no surprise that movie halls in Dubai and Abu Dhabi turned into a show of celebration, with the frenzied atmosphere echoing Chennai, Madurai or Bengaluru. At least 15 screens at one Dubai multiplex, Vox Cinemas at Deira City Centre, ran the movie at 2.30 AM on August 14 and every screen was packed to the rafters, according to Rafeez Ahmed, an expat from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a content creator in Dubai.
Ahmed, a Tamil cinema buff, is no newbie to the FDFS (first day, first show) phenomenon, having watched movies by many Indian stars from the word go. Even for him, the Coolie FDFS was a revelation.
"Everyone was shook," he told City Times. "There was barely space to move around (in the multiplex). People were going crazy. From kids to adults to senior citizens, there were everyone enjoying."
Video credit: Rafeez Ahmed
Santha Balaji, CTO of Numerique360, a digital tech agency based in Dubai, concurred. A die-hard Rajini fan, he was witness to similar scenes when he went to watch the movie early on August 14.
"The atmosphere was celebratory and I revelled in it. Watching Coolie in such a setting is an out-of-the-world experience," he said.
Balaji also watched Rajinikanth's previous flicks, the action-comedy Jailer (2023) and the action-drama Vettaiyan (2024), on the first day of release.
"There were a group of traditional Indian drummers and dancers as well going crazy outside the hall," Ahmed said with a chuckle.
The Tamil film, which also released in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam, is bankrolled by media baron Kalanithi Maran's Sun Pictures, and reportedly cost Rs 3,500 million-Rs 4,000 million (Dh150 million to Dh172 million approximately).
Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has delivered blockbusters such as Vikram, with Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil, and Master and Leo with Vijay, is Coolie 's director.
Festival begins in #Dubai �������������
Thalaivar craze�������������������������
Less than 30 mins for madness��� #Coolie #Thalaivar #CoolieFDFS pic.twitter.com/s7EBNnG28T
— The Flicks (@Flicks_rithick) August 13, 2025
The movie, which released alongside the Hrithik Roshan, NT Rama Rao Junior and Kiara Advani spy thriller War 2, had a flying start in advance bookings. According to The Times of India, Coolie netted in nearly Rs 1 billion in global advance sales.
But that may not weigh on the minds of fans like Ahmed. There is the reality that age is catching up with their superstar, and every movie of his that we get to see on the big screen could possibly the last, he said. "That's why everyone comes to celebrate him even if the movie is good or bad."