June 10, 2025: The long-awaited reunion of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan in Thug Life may have generated massive pre-release buzz, but the film’s box office performance is proving underwhelming. Despite the anticipation surrounding the duo’s first collaboration since the 1987 cult classic Nayakan, Thug Life has seen a sharp decline in collections by Day 5.
📉 Box Office Performance So Far
As per early estimates from Sacnilk, the film earned ₹3.25 crore on Monday, marking its lowest single-day collection yet. With that, the total five-day earnings for Thug Life now stand at ₹40.15 crore. The film had opened with ₹15.5 crore on Thursday but failed to show consistent growth over the weekend.
Most of the box office contribution has come from the Tamil version, with the film recording 18.05% Tamil occupancy on Monday.
🎥 About the Film
Thug Life tells the gritty tale of a feared mafia kingpin seeking revenge after betrayal. Alongside Kamal Haasan, the film stars Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf.
Despite its strong cast and stylish visuals, the film has received mixed reviews, with criticism aimed at its pacing and execution.
⚠️ Controversy and Karnataka Ban
The film’s performance may have also been impacted by controversy surrounding Kamal Haasan’s remarks about the Kannada language. Following backlash and refusal to apologise, Thug Life did not release in Karnataka. Kamal later addressed the issue with an open letter to the KFCC, clarifying that his comments were not meant to offend but to promote unity.
“My words were intended only to convey that we are all one and from the same family and not to diminish Kannada in any way,” Haasan stated.
🧾 The Road Ahead
With weekday collections already dipping and regional controversies affecting its reach, Thug Life now faces an uphill battle to sustain at the box office. Whether the film can bounce back over its second weekend remains to be seen.