Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2 has entered the list of the 20 highest-grossing Indian films of all time, with its worldwide box office collection reaching ₹628 crore in nine days. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the film has surpassed the lifetime collections of several major Indian releases, including Salman Khan's Sultan, Prabhas-starrer Salaar and Saiyaara.
The film benefited from the Navratri and Dussehra holidays, crossing ₹500 crore worldwide during its first week before going past the ₹600-crore milestone. However, its daily domestic earnings have slowed since the festive period ended.
On Friday, its ninth day in theatres, Jailer 2 collected ₹14.50 crore net in India, a decline of around 15.5% from the ₹17.15 crore it earned on Thursday. According to trade estimates, its domestic net collection has reached ₹348.85 crore, while its gross earnings in India stand at ₹408.55 crore.
Overseas markets have contributed substantially to the film's performance. The sequel earned an estimated ₹5 crore internationally on Friday, taking its cumulative overseas gross to ₹219.50 crore. Its worldwide gross now stands at approximately ₹628.05 crore.
Jailer 2 overtakes major Indian blockbusters
With its latest earnings, Jailer 2 has displaced Sultan from the 20th position on the list of the highest-grossing Indian films. The 2016 wrestling drama, starring Salman Khan, had collected around ₹623 crore worldwide during its theatrical run.
Rajinikanth's film has also surpassed the reported lifetime worldwide collections of Prabhas-starrer Salaar, which earned ₹617 crore, and Saiyaara, which collected ₹578 crore.
The sequel has made an even bigger mark in Tamil cinema. It has become the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time after overtaking its predecessor, Jailer, which earned approximately ₹604 crore worldwide, and Vijay's Leo, whose worldwide collection stood at around ₹605 crore.
The next major target for the film is Shankar's 2.0, starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. Released in 2018, the science-fiction film earned approximately ₹691 crore worldwide and remains ahead of Jailer 2.
Tamil version leads domestic collections
The Tamil version continued to account for the largest share of Jailer 2's domestic earnings on Friday, collecting ₹9.35 crore across 4,885 shows. The Telugu version earned ₹3 crore from 1,787 shows, while the Hindi version contributed ₹1.75 crore across 3,624 shows. The Kannada version added ₹40 lakh from 188 screenings.
The film's opening weekend was particularly strong, with its domestic collections crossing ₹400 crore gross within its first four days, according to the reported figures. It continued to benefit from the Dussehra holiday before its daily earnings declined on Wednesday and Thursday.
The film began its second week on Friday after accumulating ₹334.35 crore net in India during its first eight days. Despite the slowdown, its overseas earnings have helped sustain its worldwide total.
Cast, story and other details
Produced by Sun Pictures and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 brings Rajinikanth back as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, the character he played in the first instalment. The sequel follows the iconic character as he takes on a new group of antagonists.
Rajinikanth has rarely agreed to make sequels to his blockbusters, having turned down follow-ups to several of his earlier successful films. His return to the Jailer franchise has therefore been a notable development for his fans.
Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa and Rithvik reprise their roles from the original film. The sequel also features S. J. Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vidya Balan, Anna Rajan and Jatin Sarna.
Several prominent actors appear in special cameos, including Hrithik Roshan, Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff. Anirudh Ravichander has composed the music for the film.
With its worldwide collection now above ₹628 crore, Jailer 2 is closing in on the ₹691-crore benchmark set by 2.0. Whether it can surpass that total will depend on its performance during the second weekend and the remainder of its theatrical run.