Two of the most awaited Pan-India films, War 2 and Coolie, released on the big screen last week. While expectations from these films were at a fever pitch, they failed to spread their magic. In fact, despite featuring two of the biggest superstars—Jr. NTR in War 2 and Aamir Khan in a cameo in Coolie—both films struggled to attract audiences. This raises serious questions about the quality of content they offered, as even such star power couldn’t help them succeed.
Whether backed by big banners or led by stars like Jr. NTR and Aamir Khan, War 2 and Coolie couldn’t hold their ground at the box office. When a film lacks a strong story and entertainment quotient, not even the presence of major stars can save it. In fact, they also have the leverage of an extended weekend with their release. This clearly highlights that today’s audience values quality cinema above everything else. They step into theaters seeking a compelling story and entertainment, and whatever business these films managed to generate was purely due to the fan base of the stars involved.
Be it Jr. NTR and Hrithik Roshan in War 2 or the ensemble cast of Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Aamir Khan, and others in Coolie—the films survived only on their star appeal. Beyond that, the content simply wasn’t strong enough to pull audiences to theaters. At the end of the day, this proves once again that audiences demand good content above star power.
