Overview

• “Thug Life” premiered June 5 across India except Karnataka, where the state film chamber upheld a ban after Kamal Haasan’s remark that Kannada was born out of Tamil.
• Trade experts estimate the exclusion from Karnataka could cost the film Rs 35–40 crore in gross box office and Rs 12–15 crore to producers.
• Tamil Nadu approved five special first-day shows starting at 9 a.m., leading fans from Bengaluru to travel 42 km to Hosur for early screenings.
• Advance bookings reached approximately Rs 13.9 crore, driven by 60–65% occupancy in Tamil Nadu and under 5% turnout in NCR and Mumbai.
• Reviews have been mixed, with praise for Haasan’s performance and A.R. Rahman’s score alongside criticism of the film’s pacing and predictable second half.