Thug Life Box Office Collection Day 2: Kamal Haasan Starrer Sees Sharp Drop; Faces Tough Competition From Housefull 5

Thug Life, which debuted to decent numbers, saw a major drop in collections on its second day, suggesting the audience reception may not match the initial buzz.

Thug Life Box Office Collection: Despite high expectations and the much-publicised reunion of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan after nearly four decades, ‘Thug Life’ has struggled to maintain traction at the box office. The film, which debuted to decent numbers, saw a major drop in collections on its second day, suggesting the audience reception may not match the initial buzz.

Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life struggles at the box office

According to data from Sacnilk, ‘Thug Life’ earned Rs 7.50 crore across all languages on its second day, marking a significant 55% drop from its opening day collection of Rs 15.50 crore. This brings the film’s two-day India total to Rs 23 crore.

In contrast, Akshay Kumar's comedy film ‘Housefull 5’, which released the same day, grossed Rs 23 crore on its first day alone, directly affecting Thug Life's performance in Hindi-speaking regions.

Despite being promoted as a pan-India project, ‘Thug Life’ saw a lacklustre opening in the Hindi market. The film opened to a modest Rs 65 lakh and is expected to earn just Rs 25–30 lakh on Day 2. Industry insiders estimate the film may struggle to reach even Rs 5 crore net in Hindi markets during its entire theatrical run, a surprisingly low figure considering Kamal Haasan’s stature.

Performance in Tamil Nadu also hasn’t been promising. With a two-day total of Rs 23 crore, ‘Thug Life’ falls far short of Kamal Haasan’s 2022 hit ‘Vikram’, which collected Rs 60 crore in its first two days. Even ‘Indian 2’, which underperformed overall, managed Rs 44 crore in its opening two days.

The film’s poor performance in Karnataka is being linked to Kamal Haasan's recent controversial remarks about the Kannada language, which reportedly led to the film not releasing in the state, further denting its box office potential.

All about Thug Life

Directed by Mani Ratnam, 'Thug Life' features a star-studded ensemble including Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan (Simbu), Trisha, Joju George, Ashok Selvan, Nasser, and Abhirami. The film’s music is composed by AR Rahman, with cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.