Chennai / New Delhi, June 8, 2025 – The highly anticipated reunion of director Mani Ratnam and superstar Kamal Haasan, Thug Life, hit cinemas on June 5 with considerable fanfare. However, early box office numbers show signs of a disappointing debut, with the film amassing approximately ₹30.1 crore (net India) during its first three days (businesstoday.in).
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Day 1 (Thursday): The multi-language release (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi) opened strong with ₹15.5 crore net — dominated by the Tamil version (₹13.35 crore), while Telugu and Hindi assembled ₹1.5 crore and ₹0.65 crore respectively (sacnilk.com).
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Day 2 (Friday): Business halved with a steep drop to around ₹7.15 crore — a 54% fall that raised early concerns (sacnilk.com).
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Day 3 (Saturday): The film managed a small recovery, pulling in ₹7.5–7.75 crore, lifting the three-day total just past ₹30.4 crore net (en.wikipedia.org).
Regional performance & occupancy trends
The Tamil version remains the film’s strongest pillar, with Saturday occupancy rates around 39% in Tamil Nadu and comparable urban markets (sacnilk.com). In contrast, the Hindi and Telugu versions saw significantly lower traction, with Hindi occupancy lingering below 9% on Saturday .
International box office
Globally, Thug Life reached an estimated ₹62.5 crore gross by end of Day 3 — a sum achieved through ₹36 crore gross in India and approximately ₹26.7 crore overseas (koimoi.com).
Industry benchmarks & comparison
Compared to Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s prior collaborations, the current performance is underwhelming:
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Ponniyin Selvan Parts 1 and 2 each grossed ₹300–400 crore worldwide (indiatoday.in).
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Vikram (2022) earned ₹94.6 crore over its first three days — more than triple Thug Life's tally (businesstoday.in).
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Indian 2 (2023) recorded ₹30 crore on opening alone, surpassing Thug Life's Day 1 collection (navbharattimes.indiatimes.com).
A ban in Karnataka over pre-release controversy likely curbed the film’s overall domestic prospects (indianexpress.com).
Outlook
While Thug Life shows some recovery on Saturday, it faces a challenging path ahead. Competition from Housefull 5, lukewarm word-of-mouth, and limited pan‑India appeal have muted expectations. Without a significant weekend uptick — possibly during the Eid holiday — breaking even may prove difficult.
Disclaimer: Box office figures quoted are based on estimates from trade trackers (Sacnilk, Koimoi) and media outlets. Actual collections may vary; this article is for informational purposes only.
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