After an impressive start, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s highly anticipated film ‘Thug Life’ witnessed a sharp decline in its box office performance on the second day.According to early estimates reported by the Sacnilk website, the film earned Rs 7.50 crore (across all languages) in India on Day 2, a significant decline from its Rs 15.5 crore opening. This brings the total two-day India net collection to Rs 23 crore. The dip in collections raises questions about the film’s ability to sustain its momentum over the weekend, especially in non-Tamil markets.Occupancy dips outside Tamil Nadu‘Thug Life’s Tamil version maintained a moderate occupancy rate on Friday with an overall 31.41%. The film showed gradual improvement throughout the day in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, which recorded a 59% night show occupancy. However, other regions like Madurai and Coimbatore hovered around the 25-30% range.
In contrast, the film struggled in the Hindi and Telugu belts. The Hindi version registered a meagre 6.48% overall occupancy on Friday, with evening and night shows failing to gain traction. The Telugu version fared slightly better with a 14.17% overall occupancy, but still reflected limited interest compared to expectations from a pan-Indian release.Star-studded cast yet to boost momentumDespite a powerhouse cast featuring Kamal Haasan, Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, and Ali Fazal, the film’s performance indicates it has not yet connected with a broader audience. With the weekend ahead, the makers will be hoping for a turnaround driven by word-of-mouth and fan support. However, unless there is a strong surge in occupancy across all language markets, ‘Thug Life’ risks falling short of its high expectations and production scale. What’s next?The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the Mani Ratnam-Kamal Haasan collaboration can bounce back at the box office.
