Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited film Thug Life opened to a disappointing Rs 17 crore at the Indian box office on its first day, falling short of expectations despite the legendary duo’s reunion after over three decades.
The film, which hit theaters on June 5, faced mixed reviews and struggled to match the opening day collections of Haasan’s previous films.
According to Sacnilk, the early estimates show Thug Life earned around Rs 17 crore net across India, which is notably lower than Kamal Haasan’s last release Indian 2, which collected Rs 25.6 crore on its opening day despite receiving extremely negative reviews.
Karnataka Ban Severely Impacts Collections
The film’s performance was significantly hampered by its complete absence from Karnataka theaters. The ban resulted from Kamal Haasan’s controversial statement at a promotional event where he claimed “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” sparking massive outrage among pro-Kannada groups.
Trade analysts predict the Karnataka ban will cost the film between Rs 35-40 crore in gross collections, with producers losing approximately Rs 12-15 crore in revenue share. Ramesh Bala, a prominent trade analyst, explained that Karnataka typically contributes around 7% of total revenue for Tamil films, making it the second-biggest market after Tamil Nadu.
Mixed Reception Affects Theater Occupancy
Thug Life registered varied occupancy rates across different regions. In Tamil Nadu, the film achieved a strong overall occupancy of 52.06% on its first day, with night shows performing better at 62.07%. However, the Hindi version struggled significantly with only 5.79% overall occupancy, while Telugu shows maintained a decent 21% occupancy.
The film opened with negative to mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the weak writing and uninteresting execution. Many described it as one of the weakest films in both Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s filmographies.
Comparison with Previous Releases
Thug Life’s Day 1 collection of Rs 17 crore marks the lowest opening for Kamal Haasan’s recent films. His blockbuster Vikram (2022) had collected Rs 32.05 crore on its first day, while even the critically panned Indian 2 managed Rs 25.6 crore. The film’s advance booking also disappointed, earning only Rs 6.16 crore gross with around 36,000 tickets sold nationwide.
The Mani Ratnam-Kamal Haasan collaboration, featuring Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, and Joju George, was expected to create box office magic but failed to convert the massive pre-release buzz into actual footfalls. With the extended weekend ahead, the film’s performance in the coming days will determine whether it can recover from this lukewarm start.