Thug Life Fails at Box Office: Team Pushes for Early OTT Release
Before its OTT debut, Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life is already making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Touted as a major project helmed by Mani Ratnam, the film has been rejected outright by audiences and is now being labeled one of the biggest Tamil film disasters in recent years.
Initially, the production team made a bold move by opting for an eight-week post-theatrical window for the film’s Netflix release — a significant departure from the shorter 4-week windows becoming standard in South Indian cinema. However, with the film’s underwhelming performance at the box office and mounting financial pressure, that decision is now under scrutiny.
Sources in the Tamil film industry reveal that Kamal Haasan’s team has reopened negotiations with Netflix, requesting an earlier release to minimize damage and possibly secure a better deal. The current agreement, locked at a lower valuation due to the longer window, has become a sticking point after the film failed to gain traction.
Netflix, however, is reportedly treading carefully. With poor reviews, negative word-of-mouth, and lackluster ticket sales, the streaming giant is unlikely to revise its terms significantly. While a few multiplexes continue to screen Thug Life, audience turnout has plummeted, and the buzz around the film has nearly vanished.
For a film positioned as a major milestone in the careers of both Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam, Thug Life’s crash at the box office is proving to be a major setback. With pressure building on producers to compensate distributors, the early OTT release may be their only hope of damage control.
