Jailer 2 crosses Rs 300 crore in India as Mohanlal body double row simmers

A week after its release, Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 has crossed the Rs 300 crore net mark in India, but a row over Mohanlal’s brief appearance in the film continues to play out among fans in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The debate was triggered by a Malayalam mimicry artiste who said publicly that he had worked as the veteran actor’s body double on the Nelson-directed sequel.

The body double claim

Jobi (also spelt Joby) Kodakara, who has performed Mohanlal lookalike acts for close to two decades, posted on Facebook around the film’s worldwide release on 15 October that he had doubled for the actor in parts of Jailer 2. He shared pictures of himself dressed like Mohanlal’s character and on set with S. J. Suryah and Jackie Shroff, and wrote that he felt “very lucky” to have met Rajinikanth in person, according to Kerala Kaumudi. He had reportedly mentioned the work in an earlier interview as well.

The post drew sharp criticism from actor and production controller Azad Kannadikkal. He acknowledged that dupes are routinely used in films, but said it was unacceptable to disclose such work on release day, especially after presumably being paid for it, and accused Kodakara of seeking attention. Kannadikkal also blamed him for social media trolls claiming that all of Mohanlal’s portions were shot with a stand-in. Kodakara’s response to this criticism was not available in the reports reviewed.

The issue has fed into wider disappointment among Mohanlal’s fans, some of whom say scenes featured in promotional material were missing from the theatrical cut. The makers have not publicly addressed the reported cuts.

Action director sets the record straight on climax

Action director Chethan D’Souza has since pushed back on one part of the speculation. Replying to a fan on Instagram, he confirmed that Mohanlal himself performed the car sequence in the film’s climax, Madhyamam reported. He did not comment on reports that the actor’s introduction scene had been trimmed.

Mohanlal appears in a special role alongside other guest stars including Shiva Rajkumar and Hrithik Roshan. The Sun Pictures production also features Vidya Balan, S. J. Suryah, Ramya Krishnan and Suraj Venjaramoodu, with Rajinikanth returning as Muthuvel Pandian.

Box office and OTT

The film opened with about Rs 59.7 crore net in India on its first day, according to figures from trade tracker Sacnilk cited by The Week. Early, partial estimates for Day 7 (Wednesday, 21 October) ranged from Rs 12.71 crore to Rs 15.45 crore depending on the time of reporting, taking the India net total to roughly Rs 302 to 305 crore. Sacnilk put the India gross at about Rs 357 crore and noted that final figures were awaited.

Worldwide numbers vary widely by source. The Week said the film passed Rs 500 crore globally by Day 6, while The Sunday Guardian cited unnamed reports of Rs 582.45 crore by Day 7. These figures have not been confirmed by the producers.

On the streaming front, Amazon Prime Video is reported to have acquired the post-theatrical rights, with Sacnilk claiming in August that the deal was worth Rs 160 crore. Digit said a mid-November digital premiere was being discussed, but neither the makers nor the platform have officially confirmed the platform or date.

Sources

• Kerala Kaumudi: Mimicry artist who played Mohanlal’s body double shares joy of meeting Rajinikanth
• Kerala Kaumudi: Mohanlal dupe in Jailer 2
• Madhyamam: Jailer 2 action director confirms Mohanlal did climax car scene himself
• The Week: Jailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 7: Rajinikanth action comedy nets Rs 300 crore in India within a week
• Sacnilk: Jailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 7
• The Sunday Guardian: Jailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 7
• Digit: Jailer 2 OTT release timeline, streaming platform and more details
• Sacnilk: Jailer 2 reportedly locks biggest post-theatrical OTT deal for Tamil cinema with Amazon Prime Video