Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated gangster drama Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, is poised for a solid debut in the United States, though it has fallen short of matching the premiere day advance booking numbers of Haasan’s upcoming film Indian 2.Advance ticket sales for Thug Life’s U.S. premiere have reached US $454,000 across 375 locations, covering over 1000 shows and selling more than 17,000 tickets. Industry analysts are projecting that the film’s total North American premiere day earnings could go up to US $ 800,000 positioning it as Haasan’s second-biggest premiere day opening in the region..However, when compared to the advance sales of Indian 2, which is set to release last year, Thug Life trails notably. Indian 2 has already clocked $580,431 in advance sales across 484 locations, with 1,457 shows and 27,935 tickets sold for its U.S. premiere. This makes Indian 2 Haasan’s biggest premiere day in North America so far — even before its release.Indian 2 being a sequel to Kamal Haasan’s 1996 hit film Indian- the buzz for the film was much more as compared to Thug Life. Thug Life marks a major reunion between Kamal Haasan and legendary director Mani Ratnam after their iconic 1987 collaboration Nayakan. The film features a stellar ensemble cast including Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Joju George, and Ali Fazal, with music composed by A.R. Rahman. It’s scheduled for a global release on June 5, 2025, and will release in multiple languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam.Back home, however, Thug Life has run into controversy. The film’s release in Karnataka has been postponed following backlash against Haasan’s recent remarks claiming Kannada originated from Tamil. The statement drew sharp criticism from the Kannada-speaking community and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), which demanded an apology and threatened to block the film’s release in the state. Haasan stood by his comments, refusing to apologize, asserting they were misinterpreted.Following escalating tensions, the decision was made to indefinitely postpone Thug Life’s release in Karnataka. The Karnataka High Court also weighed in, advising Haasan to apologize to the Kannada community.Despite the controversy, Thug Life continues to generate substantial international interest. The film’s strong U.S. advance bookings reaffirm Kamal Haasan’s enduring global appeal, though it now has a new bar to beat with Indian 2 already setting an impressive record ahead of its premiere.
