Kamal Hasan and Mani Ratnam’s highly anticipated gangster drama Thug Life has made its digital debut on Netflix, marking a significant moment for fans and cinephiles alike. The film was released on 5th June 2025 in theatres. However, it struggled to create good revenue at the box office.
Te film was not able to replicate the charm of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Hassan on the box office. As it fails to impress audience and also had a disappointing box office collection.
Now with its OTT release on July 4th, 2025, Thug Life aims to capture a broader audience and redeem its narrative through streaming platforms. The film is going to be available in 5 different languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
A Big Reunion Ruined by Poor Box Office Sales
Thug Life marked the reunion of 2 legends of Indian Cinema. One is Mani Ratnam and other one is Kamal Haasan . After a 37 year gap since Nayakan. Produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies, the film has an amazing cast. It has actors like Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, and Ashok Selvan.
Early OTT Release Sparks Controversy
Initially, Haasan and his Thug Life group wanted to keep the film in cinemas for two months before putting it online. This is common practice in Northern India, helping movie theatres sell the many tickets as they can. Haasan spoke about this during promotions, explaining, “It’s not an experiment, but the pragmatic thing to do. We hope others can follow this, and it will make the industry healthy.” However, the film didn’t perform well in cinemas. As a result, Netflix, having paid ₹130 crore for streaming rights, requested a change to their arrangement. They settled on ₹110 crore, with the film in cinemas for only one month. It began streaming on July 4, just 28 days after it appeared in theaters.
Putting the film out early went against the rules for movie theaters. The National Multiplex Association charged them ₹25 lakh for not keeping to the planned timeline. This wasn’t the first time Haasan’s group had faced this kind of issue. Their previous film, Indian 2, also didn’t remain in theaters for the usual two months, leading to similar problems. Movie theatre chains like PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis were not pleased. They mentioned that releasing films online too quickly reduces the money they earn in cinemas. Despite attempts to delay the online release, the film’s poor performance limited the producers’ negotiating strength.
Netflix Grabs The Opportunity To Release Thug Life
Netflix seized the opportunity to purchase the streaming rights and release the film on its platform. They have announced it via a social media post on Twitter (Now X) with a message “Ithu Rangaraya Sakthivel-kum yamanukum nadakura poti.” They have released the film in 5 different languages, which we mentioned already above. Watch Thug Life, now on Netflix in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.”
While they fail to impress the audience in the theatre but despite this Netflix has given them another chance to impress the audience on their platform. The film’s multilingual availability further broadens its reach, tapping into pan-Indian and international viewership.
As the Tamil film industry navigates the evolving dynamics between theatrical and OTT platforms, Thug Life’s early digital release underscores the challenges of balancing commercial viability with the expectations of the audience. Whether Thug Life will find redemption on Netflix remains to be seen, but its arrival on the platform ensures that the saga of Rangaraaya Sakthivel will reach a global audience, offering a fresh opportunity to engage with this ambitious gangster drama.
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