Disappointing Start for ‘Thug Life’ at the Box Office: Falls Short of Expectations on Day One

Thug Life, the highly anticipated film starring Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan (Simbu), and Trisha, directed by Mani Ratnam with music by A.R. Rahman, hit theaters worldwide yesterday. Despite the hype surrounding the film, its first-day reception has been underwhelming.

Soon after its release, the film received mixed reactions on social media. Several popular YouTube reviewers also highlighted more flaws than strengths, adding to the growing criticism.

Adding to the concerns, the film’s first-day box office collection has left the production team disappointed. While Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film Indian 2, directed by Shankar, is said to have collected over ?25 crore on its opening day (based on past performance trends), Thug Life reportedly managed only ?17 crore in India.

The situation was further impacted by the film’s non-release in Karnataka, reportedly due to Kamal Haasan’s controversial remarks about the Kannada language, which led to a boycott in the state.

Across India, theaters reportedly saw only around 50% occupancy for Thug Life on opening day. By comparison, other major Tamil releases this year—Ajith’s Good Bad Ugly (?28 crore), Vidamuyarchi (?25 crore), and Retro (?19 crore)—performed significantly better.

The disappointing opening has left many Kamal Haasan fans disheartened, especially considering the film’s star power and high expectations.