Thug Life Movie Review, Rating and Release Live Updates: While the sword of the language row hangs over its head, director Mani Ratnam’s much-anticipated action drama Thug Life is set for release, with its inaugural show scheduled to begin soon. Starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role, the film marks the reunion of the director and actor after 37 years since Nayakan (1987). One of the most hyped Indian films of the year, Thug Life’s first-day-first-show (FDFS) will begin at 9 am on Thursday, following the Tamil Nadu government’s approval for special shows at that time on the day of release. Unlike certain other recent Tamil films, such as “Thalapathy” Vijay’s Leo (2023), which had earlier shows in other states due to a lack of similar restrictions, Thug Life’s FDFS will commence simultaneously across the country.
Despite the massive hype and extensive promotional activities, Thug Life has not managed to match the advance booking figures of Kamal Haasan’s last two films. As of 7 pm on Wednesday, according to industry tracker Sacnilk, the Mani Ratnam directorial has grossed only Rs 4.93 crore in advance bookings, with 2,90,838 tickets sold across 10,613 shows. Even when block seats are included, the total would only reach Rs 12.32 crore. By comparison, S Shankar’s box office bomb Indian 2 (2024) grossed Rs 10.98 crore in advance bookings (Rs 17.9 crore with block seats), while Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram (2022) registered Rs 15.30 crore. It appears that the ban imposed in Karnataka has significantly impacted Thug Life’s box office prospects.
Also starring Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan TR, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar and Ali Fazal, Thug Life boasts music by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, cinematography by Ravi K Chandran, editing by A Sreekar Prasad. Bankrolled jointly by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies, the film’s action choreography has been handled by Anbariv.
