A few months ago, Jailer 2 was expected to post the biggest opening of 2026. Now, with three days to go for release, the Rajinikanth sequel is not even in the race for Toxic’s opening, let alone Dhurandhar 2’s. Worldwide advance sales currently stand at around ₹40 Cr, and at the current pace, a ₹120 Cr+ start is the best-case scenario.
The Benchmarks of 2026
Two films have set the opening day benchmarks this year. Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2 opened to ₹190 Cr gross worldwide, the biggest opening for an Indian film in 2026. Yash’s Toxic opened to ₹135 Cr gross worldwide, the biggest opening for a South Indian film this year.
These were the two numbers Jailer 2 was expected to chase.
Why ₹200 Cr Looked Possible
On paper, Jailer 2 had every reason to beat both. The first Jailer grossed around ₹600 Cr worldwide and worked across every territory: Tamil Nadu, Telugu States, Karnataka, Kerala and overseas. Rajinikanth’s last film Coolie opened to more than ₹150 Cr gross worldwide.
Add the sequel factor, and expectations were simple. Jailer 2 could easily post the biggest opening of the year, with ₹200 Cr+ looking well within reach.
Where It All Changed
Everything changed once the promotional content started arriving. The songs completely failed to meet expectations, and the trailer missed the mark too. Instead of building the hype, the campaign brought it down, and the advance bookings are now showing it.
Jailer 2’s worldwide advance sales are currently at around ₹40 Cr. Overseas has contributed ₹20 Cr+, while India is close to the ₹20 Cr mark.
Bookings are yet to open in a few territories, so the numbers will grow. But wherever bookings have opened, the trend is not massive. For a Rajinikanth sequel to a ₹600 Cr grosser, this is not the kind of demand anyone expected.
₹120 Cr at Best
Forget Dhurandhar 2’s ₹190 Cr. Jailer 2 does not even look close to Toxic’s ₹135 Cr right now. If the bookings see massive jumps over the next few days, the film can still post a ₹120 Cr+ worldwide start. If the bookings continue at the same pace, the opening could fall below that mark.
A ₹120 Cr opening is still a big number. But for a film that was expected to cross ₹200 Cr on day one, that would be a clear miss.
What Can Still Change
Rajinikanth films usually see a strong final rush, and the remaining territories opening their bookings will add to the total. Jailer 2 releases worldwide on October 15, with Overseas premieres on October 14. The next 72 hours will decide whether it can still close the gap or settles well below the year’s biggest openers.
