Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s much-hyped Thug Life has turned out to be a disappointing outing, with the film failing to beat the collections of even Indian 2 — a project considered one of the biggest underperformers in Tamil cinema in recent times. What’s more telling is that Thug Life, despite enjoying an 8-day opening week thanks to its Thursday release, could only manage a net total of Rs 43.37 crore across all languages in India.In contrast, Indian 2 directed by Shankar, which faced mixed reviews and an audience divide, still posted a Rs 70.4 crore net in its first 7 days, while Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram, released in 2022, had a phenomenal Rs 143.95 crore week — nearly three times what Thug Life achieved. This outcome is particularly embarrassing for Thug Life, considering the amount of anticipation surrounding the film due to the Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam reunion after decades.The film’s daily earnings witnessed sharp drops after its opening day Rs 15.5 crore start, plunging over 50% on its second day, and never quite recovering over the weekend. The 8th-day figure of Rs 1.15 crore is a clear indicator of the audience’s rejection.On the other hand, Indian 2 — a sequel made after 28 years — though criticized for its length and dated screenplay, still managed a respectable opening weekend before collapsing on weekdays. Its weak performance has reportedly cast doubts over the fate of Indian 3, which was initially planned as a back-to-back release with Indian 2. Industry chatter suggests that Indian 3 might now skip a theatrical release altogether and head straight to OTT.Thug Life, which was originally designed to follow a Hindi film-like 8-week OTT release window, might also have to rethink its plan. Given its not so successful theatrical run, insiders reveal the film could be forced onto a digital platform within four weeks to salvage some returns from non-theatrical rights. The makers had banked heavily on the Kamal-Mani brand value and the film’s large-scale promotional campaign but neither translated into footfalls.At this point, Thug Life finds itself in a tough spot — not only has it failed to surpass Indian 2, a film widely considered a flop, but it also pales in comparison to Vikram, leaving Mani Ratnam’s ambitious venture struggling for relevance both at the box office and with its future prospects.
