Thug Life, the high-profile film starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Mani Ratnam, hit theatres recently with towering expectations. The film brought back the celebrated duo 37 years after their cult classic Nayagan, fueling excitement among fans and film lovers alike.
During pre-release promotions, Kamal Haasan is observed confidently claiming that it stands a chance of going better than the ever-great Nayagan and that Thug Life is one of the finest films in his life. The team had even managed to get a deal with Netflix to delay the OTT release by eight weeks, anticipating a good run in theaters.
Sadly, the post-release reality has been brutally contrasting. In spite of the hype and star cast, Thug Life received mixed word of mouth and poor box office returns. The collection of the film has now joined the ranks of other recent letdowns such as Indian 2 and Kanguva, with most terming it one of the biggest flops in recent Tamil cinema.
Amid rising losses, industry insiders reveal that the makers are now in talks with Netflix to reschedule the film’s streaming release much earlier than planned—possibly within four weeks. The aim is to recoup some losses and tap into the digital audience while the film is still fresh in public memory.
Interestingly, some of the recent films which bombed at the box office have seen a second lease on OTT. Films such as Kanguva, Vidamuyarchi, and Retro were able to generate good viewership after their digital releases, showing that content would continue to glitter even if box office collection is poor.
However, Thug Life’s underperformance is undoubtedly a hard blow for both Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. What was envisioned as a cinematic milestone for the duo has instead become a moment of reflection in their illustrious careers.
Whether Thug Life manages to bounce back on Netflix or fades into the background remains to be seen. But for now, all eyes are on the digital release to see if the film can turn its fortunes around.