Chennai [India], October 14: Superstar Rajinikanth is gearing up for the release of Jailer 2, and the film could play a crucial role in his race to become Kollywood’s highest-grossing leading star in the post-COVID era. According to box-office figures reported by Koimoi, Rajinikanth needs approximately ₹355 crore in additional worldwide gross collections to overtake Thalapathy Vijay’s post-pandemic total.
Rajinikanth has delivered four theatrical releases in the post-COVID period: Annaatthe, Jailer, Vettaiyan and Coolie. Together, these films have reportedly collected ₹1,555.12 crore worldwide, placing the veteran actor among the biggest box-office performers in Tamil cinema.
Among these releases, Jailer emerged as a major commercial success, earning a reported ₹609.29 crore worldwide. His subsequent film, Coolie, also delivered a strong performance with reported worldwide collections of ₹516.81 crore. Meanwhile, Annaatthe collected approximately ₹173.69 crore, while Vettaiyan earned around ₹255.33 crore.
Thalapathy Vijay currently leads the post-COVID worldwide box-office tally for Kollywood’s leading stars, with a reported cumulative gross of ₹1,909.95 crore from five releases. This places him approximately ₹354.83 crore ahead of Rajinikanth, making Jailer 2 an important release in the competition between the two superstars.
Scheduled to arrive in theatres on October 15, 2026, Jailer 2 reunites Rajinikanth with director Nelson Dilipkumar following the success of the original film. The sequel has generated considerable anticipation among fans, with expectations surrounding its opening-day collections and overall theatrical performance.
Koimoi’s report suggests that the film could deliver a substantial worldwide opening and potentially cross the ₹400 crore mark if audience response remains favourable. However, these figures are projections rather than confirmed collections. The film’s eventual performance will depend on audience reception, word of mouth, repeat viewership and its ability to sustain momentum beyond the opening weekend.
If Jailer 2 earns more than ₹354.83 crore worldwide, Rajinikanth could move ahead of Vijay in the reported post-COVID cumulative box-office ranking. The film’s release is therefore significant not only for its own commercial prospects but also for the ongoing box-office comparison between two of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars.
With the theatrical release just around the corner, attention is now on Jailer 2’s opening and its performance over the following days. The actual worldwide collection will determine whether Rajinikanth can close the gap and claim the top position in this post-COVID box-office race.
