June 05, 2025: Thug Life, the much-anticipated film marking the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after the cult hit Nayakan, opened with strong numbers at the box office but under the cloud of controversy. According to Sacnilk.com, the film earned ₹14.94 crore on its opening day.
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The Tamil-language action drama registered an overall 48.72% occupancy in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. Morning shows led with 50.66% occupancy, followed closely by 50.35% in the afternoon. However, a dip was recorded in the evening shows at 45.15%. Despite the drop, the film is expected to maintain momentum over the extended weekend.
Karnataka Controversy Hits Collections
Thug Life faced a major blow after it was not screened in Karnataka, following backlash over Kamal Haasan’s comments where he said, “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The remark led to widespread outrage, prompting the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to threaten a ban unless Haasan apologised. The actor refused to apologise, claiming his words were taken out of context. As a result, the film potentially lost ₹35-40 crore in expected collections from Karnataka, according to a report by The Hindu.
About the Film
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Thug Life stars a stellar ensemble including:
- Trisha
- Silambarasan
- Joju George
- Ashok Selvan
- Nasser
- Abhirami
The film’s music is composed by A.R. Rahman, with Ravi K. Chandran handling cinematography and A. Sreekar Prasad in charge of editing.
Early Reviews Mixed
An excerpt noted, “The film suffers from an ‘old wine in old bottle’ screenplay. Despite powerful performances and intense moments, the plot thins out midway, bogged down by too many characters and insipid dialogues.”
Despite the mixed reviews and state-level controversy, Thug Life has managed a respectable opening. It now remains to be seen whether strong word-of-mouth and the long weekend can propel it further at the domestic box office.