Jailer 2 opens to mixed early reactions; viewers praise Rajinikanth, fault second half

Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, opened in theatres worldwide on Thursday, 15 October. Early reactions are mixed, according to reports by ETV Bharat, Free Press Journal and NewsX. Viewers praised Rajinikanth’s screen presence and the first half, and some criticised the second half, pacing and climax.

The film is a sequel to the 2023 hit Jailer. Rajinikanth returns as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian. Sun Pictures produced the film and Anirudh Ravichander composed the music.

Cast and release

• Release: 15 October 2026, in theatres worldwide
• Director: Nelson Dilipkumar; producer: Sun Pictures; music: Anirudh Ravichander
• Cast, according to ETV Bharat: Rajinikanth, S J Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Ramya Krishnan and Vidya Balan
• Cameos reported by ETV Bharat: Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Vijay Sethupathi and Hrithik Roshan

What early viewers said

ETV Bharat, which compiled reactions posted on X after the first shows, described the response as mixed. It reported praise for the first half, especially its comedy, action and interval block, and for Anirudh’s background score. Complaints centred on the second half, the climax, the runtime and the villain tracks. Some viewers felt the cameos served as plot devices rather than memorable moments, the outlet reported. It cited ratings ranging from 4.5 out of 5 from a fan to 2.5 out of 5 from two reviewers, one of whom called the film an average sequel.

Free Press Journal also described the early verdict as mixed. It reported praise for Rajinikanth’s mass moments, Nelson’s comedy, the interval and Anirudh’s score. Its criticism list included slow pacing in the opening portions, a second half that lost momentum and uneven writing. One X user cited by the outlet rated the film 2 out of 5.

NewsX reported similar reactions. It cited praise for Rajinikanth’s entry and title-card scenes, Nelson’s dark humour, Yogi Babu’s comic sequences and the background score in action scenes. Some viewers questioned the screenplay, pacing and climax, and some said the score did not match the first film, according to NewsX. The outlet said the reactions were individual opinions, not a settled verdict.

Box office

No opening-day box-office figures had been reported by two independent outlets at the time of writing. Pre-release advance-booking figures reported in the media varied. The first Jailer earned more than ₹600 crore worldwide, according to Free Press Journal.

This report is based on early audience reactions compiled by the outlets cited. Professional critics’ reviews were not available in the sources consulted.

Sources: ETV Bharat, Free Press Journal, NewsX