Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated Jailer 2 has opened to overwhelmingly positive reactions during the first half of its early-morning shows on Thursday, October 15.
Audiences have praised the movie’s solid and highly entertaining first half. Taking to social media, early viewers have lauded the film’s commercial appeal, Nelson Dilipkumar’s trademark comedy, and the powerful “Superstar elevation” scenes.
Fans have hailed the veteran actor’s enduring box-office pull, saying that even at 75 he commands unmatched star power as a leading hero.
“Bookings are completely packed. I came from Pattalam to see if I could get a ticket for the special show,” Ravi, a fan waiting at the theatre, told PTI Videos. “I will definitely watch the first show; we have been watching his films since childhood. The first part was on another level, and Rajinikanth himself promised that part two would be even better.”
The high-octane sequel to the blockbuster Jailer has drawn cinephiles from outside the state who want to experience the First Day First Show (FDFS) atmosphere in Chennai.
“Jailer 2 Solid Commercial 1st Half!” wrote online reviewer Venky Reviews. “Follows a familiar template and starts a bit slow, but once the setup is established, Nelson’s trademark comedy works well along with a few solid Superstar elevation scenes backed by Anirudh’s BGM. Continues right where Part 1 ends and stays entertaining so far.”
“First half excellent, mass, and truly outstanding…” a social media user said. “So far, it’s even better than ‘Jailer’… The interval sequence is on another level…”
Another online reviewer gave the movie 4.5 stars and wrote: “Lives up to the mammoth expectations… This is, without doubt, the BEST FILM of Rajinikanth and also among the BEST FILMS of 2026… SURE-SHOT BLOCKBUSTER.”
“1st half – Blockbuster. No time waste, no boredom. Ani rocking as always. Excellent screenplay. Most of all, Nelson humour throughout the first half,” a user said.
This rare sequel to Thalaivar’s Jailer has already witnessed a massive box-office trend, with advance bookings crossing the ₹50-crore mark in pre-sales. This will help the sequel beat Part 1, which opened at ₹48 crore net in 2023.
Advance bookings for Jailer 2 hint at a worldwide Day 1 gross of around ₹125 crore. The sequel had raked in ₹31 crore gross, including block seats, in India as of 10 AM IST on October 14.
The film’s Hindi dub, however, has not set the cash registers ringing so far. But there’s still hope that the presence of stars from across industries in Jailer 2 – with a rumoured Hrithik Roshan cameo – may just push this film into the pan-India territory.
With a predicted worldwide gross of around ₹125 crore, Jailer 2 can easily become one of Tamil cinema’s top three worldwide openers.
Rajinikanth’s 2025 release, Coolie, is currently the highest-grossing film in Tamil cinema’s history, with a worldwide Day 1 gross of ₹151.10 crore.
It is followed by CM Vijay’s Leo at ₹142 crore and The Greatest of All Time at ₹99.40 crore. If Jailer 2 delivers as per current trends, the film can possibly beat The Greatest of All Time to claim the third spot.
Helmed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the action drama centred on Muthuvel Pandian, nicknamed ‘Tiger’, a former prison officer enjoying a peaceful home life until the kidnapping and presumed killing of his son pulled him back into a violent criminal underworld. The film’s climactic twist, in which a father kills his own son, is still among the most discussed sequences in Kollywood.
More than three years on, Rajinikanth reprises the role in ‘Jailer 2’, set to open in cinemas on October 15.
The follow-up continues from where the original left off, bringing Nelson together again with music composer Anirudh Ravichander and a number of returning actors-Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Shivarajkumar, Mohanlal and others.
Suraj Venjaramoodu, S J Suryah, Vidya Balan, Vijay Sethupathi and Mithun Chakraborty, among others, join the cast as newcomers.
(With agency inputs)
Disclaimer: All data in this article is taken from Sacnilk.com Live Mint couldn’t interpedently verify its claims.
