Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s long-awaited reunion film sees steady earnings after Friday dip, but faces hurdles from Nayakan comparisons and regional release issues.
Chennai, June 8 – Despite a mixed critical reception and significant comparisons to their 1987 cult classic Nayakan, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life is managing to hold its ground at the box office. The film has collected ₹28.49 crore net across India by the end of its third day.
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Released on Thursday, Thug Life had an impressive opening day collection of ₹15.5 crore. However, the numbers dipped sharply on Friday, bringing in ₹7.15 crore—a 54% drop. On Saturday, the film added another ₹5.84 crore to its tally, according to estimates by trade tracker Sacnilk.
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The Tamil version maintained an occupancy rate of 35.62% on Saturday.
Day-wise India Collection Breakdown:
- Day 1 (Thursday): ₹15.5 crore
- Day 2 (Friday): ₹7.15 crore
- Day 3 (Saturday): ₹5.84 crore
- Total (India Net): ₹28.49 crore
Challenges Facing the Film:
The film’s performance has been affected by:
- Unfavorable comparisons to Nayakan, the 1987 classic featuring the same actor-director duo.
- Language row in Karnataka, which stalled its release in some regions.
- Competition from Housefull 5, which released Friday and impacted its performance in the Hindi belt.
Star Cast & Storyline:
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Kamal Haasan stars as Shaktivel (Shakti), with Silambarasan TR playing his adopted son Amar. The ensemble cast includes Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf.
Kamal Haasan on Working with Mani Ratnam Again:
Speaking about his reunion with Mani Ratnam after 38 years, Kamal said,
“Every film is a challenge, especially with a director like Mani. I gave him an idea and helped enhance the story—true collaboration. We are both children of cinema.”
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Thug Life, Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Thug Life Box Office, Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Tamil Cinema, Indian Box Office, Nayakan Comparison, Thug Life Review