Jailer 2 became the first South film to get midnight shows in North India in its original language. Cinemas replaced Nayyi Navelli and Prahaar with the Rajinikanth starrer’s Hindi version due to huge demand. The film got an impressive response, even though it did not release in national multiplex chains.
The year 2026 has been disappointing for Pan-India films, but Jailer 2 has emerged as a major exception. The Rajinikanth starrer opened with a bang and the extraordinary response has ensured that it continues to hold strongly across the country. In the North, the Tamil version has performed particularly well, with encouraging occupancy in single screens and non-national multiplexes despite the film not releasing in national multiplex chains in any language.
Jailer 2 becomes the FIRST South film to get midnight shows in North India in its original language; cinemas replace Nayyi Navelli, Prahaar with Rajinikanth starrer’s Hindi version
The response has been so overwhelming that MovieMax organised midnight shows of Jailer 2 at two of its properties – MovieMax Huma in Kanjurmarg, Mumbai, and MovieMax Gold in Kalyani Nagar, Pune. While shows after midnight have become increasingly common in the post-pandemic era, exhibition sources claim that Jailer 2 is the first South film to achieve this distinction in the North Indian market after its release, that too in its original language. Interestingly, midnight shows are usually held in weekends but MovieMax Gold will also play the 1:45 am show of Jailer 2 on Monday, October 19.
Meanwhile, the Hindi version, Rajini: The Jailer 2, is also enjoying an impressive run. The film collected Rs. 2.56 crores on Thursday, October 15, followed by Rs. 2.41 crores on Friday. Collections jumped to Rs. 3.63 crores on Saturday, while Sunday's earnings are expected to touch the Rs. 4 crore mark. Though the numbers may appear modest, they are significant considering that the film hasn't been released in national multiplex chains like PVR INOX, Cinepolis and Miraj. This is due to its four-week OTT window, as national chains generally insist on an eight-week gap between theatrical and streaming releases.
A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Initially, Rajini: The Jailer 2 had limited showcasing because of its absence from national chains. Moreover, it had to share screens with new releases like Prahaar and Nayyi Navelli, as well as the successful holdover release, Drishyam The Conclusion. However, the response to Jailer 2 has been superb, while Nayyi Navelli has failed to impress. Prahaar has excellent word of mouth, but unfortunately, it's attracting the elite multiplex audience largely.”
The source continued, “The demand for Rajini: The Jailer 2 is huge. With Nayyi Navelli and Prahaar underperforming, several cinemas have started replacing their shows with those of the Rajinikanth starrer.”
Mumbai's Citylight cinema, for instance, has dropped Nayyi Navelli, the Marathi film Sohla and even Drishyam The Conclusion from Monday, October 19. Instead, it will play two shows each of Prahaar and Rajini: The Jailer 2. The source explained, “Prahaar is a local story and has found an audience in Mumbai. Hence, it has managed to retain shows in certain theatres where its performance has been encouraging. However, in several centres, especially in North India, even Prahaar has lost shows to Jailer 2.”
The growing demand for Rajini: The Jailer 2 is also reflected in its rapidly expanding show count. On Thursday, the Hindi version had 1,730 shows across the country. This number nearly doubled to 3,266 on Friday before rising further to 3,690 on Saturday.
Interestingly, several cinemas have decided to devote almost their entire showcasing to Jailer 2. For instance, Maratha Mandir cinema will play three shows daily of the Hindi version, while Kasturba in Malad will also screen three Hindi shows along with one show of the Tamil version.
The source added, “Rajini: The Jailer 2 can now comfortably continue its theatrical run until Diwali. Rajinikanth's previous release, Coolie (2025), collected Rs. 34 crores in its Hindi lifetime (it had a release in national chains). Jailer 2 should aim to surpass this figure, which will be a feat, especially considering that it will achieve these numbers without any support from national multiplexes.”
An industry insider commented, “Monday, October 19, will be almost like a holiday, while Dussehra will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 20. Rajini: The Jailer 2 can perform exceptionally well on both days. Dubbed action films have traditionally found a strong audience in Gujarat, but the territory is yet to come on board fully as patrons are currently occupied with Navratri celebrations. Expect collections to zoom in Gujarat from October 20 or 21.”