Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life May Lose ₹40 Crore At The Box Office Over Karnataka Ban

Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated film Thug Life's absence from Karnataka may cost the film ₹35-40 crore in gross collections.

Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated film Thug Life's absence from Karnataka may cost the film ₹35-40 crore in gross collections.

Source : Instagram/@ikamalhaasan

Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated film 'Thug Life', directed by Mani Ratnam and featuring a powerhouse cast including Silambarasan TR and Trisha Krishnan, hit theatres across India on Thursday — with one notable exception: Karnataka. The film’s absence from screens in the southern state came after Kamal Haasan stirred controversy with his remark claiming “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” a statement that triggered widespread backlash.

While Haasan stood by his comment and refused to offer an apology, it may have come at a steep cost. According to a recent report in The Hindu, the film is now expected to lose a staggering ₹35-40 crore in gross collections, with the producers missing out on ₹12-15 crore in revenue share, solely due to the Karnataka release being scrapped.

Massive Revenue Loss Projected

Film producer and distributor G Dhananjayan broke down the numbers in a conversation with The Hindu, highlighting the financial impact of skipping the Karnataka market. “With the four Telugu films grossing a total of ₹5832 crore, the Karnataka box office revenue alone amounts to ₹391.20 crore, while the north Indian market accounts for ₹2361.60 crore,” he said.

Dhananjayan stressed that Karnataka typically contributes about 7% to the total revenue for both Telugu and Tamil films. Drawing comparisons to pan-India blockbusters such as Pushpa 2, Baahubali 2, RRR, and Kalki 2898 AD, he argued that a release in Karnataka is critical to a film’s commercial success. Even Tamil hits like Jailer, Leo, Ponniyin Selvan, The GOAT, and Vikram saw significant business in the state.

The language controversy that sparked the ban

The controversy began on May 27 when Kamal Haasan, during a promotional event for 'Thug Life' in Karnataka, stated, “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” Though he attempted to clarify later that his words had been misunderstood, the damage had already been done. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce swiftly responded by halting the release of the film in the state unless Haasan issued an apology — something the actor refused to do.

Despite approaching the Karnataka High Court to intervene and ensure the film’s release, the court maintained that the situation could have been resolved with a “simple apology.” It also noted that Kamal Haasan was neither a linguist nor a historian, suggesting he refrain from making divisive linguistic statements.