Kamal Haasan Disappoints With Thug Life

Industry insiders cite several reasons for Thug Life’s underperformance. “The over-promotion was the first red flag — distributors lacked faith in the product,” said a Delhi-based distributor. The trailer, too, drew flak for showing Haasan romancing women half his age and for the misogynistic portrayal of Trisha’s character — surprising given Mani Ratnam’s reputation for strong female narratives.

Noted producer Lagadapati Sridhar too expressed strong disappointment over the film saying it failed to connect with the Telugu audience. He criticized the film’s screenplay, written by Kamal himself, stating it lacked emotional depth. “Thug Life had neither a meaningful social message nor strong family emotions. Unlike Nayakan, where Kamal’s character becomes a gangster due to social circumstances and fights for the oppressed, Thug Life revolves around a personal vendetta — he kills someone for cheating his niece. That takes the sting out of gangster drama and its moral core,” Sridhar explained.

He emphasized that superstars like Kamal must strike a proper balance between personal and social conflicts. “A successful film should blend both dimensions. The Telugu audience has become intelligent and emotionally perceptive — they look for layered narratives,” he added.

Sridhar also noted a shift in Kamal’s recent choices. “He seems increasingly drawn to action-oriented roles rather than portraying diverse characters. With Vikram, he managed to strike a chord — his age-appropriate role and the bond with his grandson offered the right mix of sentiment and action,” he said.

Commenting on Thug Life’s romantic subplot, Sridhar added, “There is a family element — his wife Abhirami and daughter — but the affair with Trisha damaged his character arc. An actor of Kamal’s stature shouldn’t rely on steamy scenes. Today’s audience has easy access to such content on their phones. What matters more is emotional depth.”

Sridhar drew comparisons with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. “Look at Drishyam or Thudaram — Mohanlal balances action with strong family narratives. Kamal too found success with Papanasam. He should consider returning to such films.”

Despite his criticism, Sridhar hailed Kamal Haasan as “an actor par excellence” and reminded audiences of his classics like Swathi Muthyam and Sagara Sangamam. “The Telugu audience has deep respect for his immense talent and versatility. I truly hope he bounces back with a powerful next film—because all it takes is one solid hit to turn things around for a superstar,” he said.

Collections

After an extended opening weekend, the film’s domestic collection stands at a modest Rs 36.90 crore across all languages, with collections dipping steadily. On Sunday, its fourth day, the film earned Rs 6.50 crore in India — lower than its Friday and Saturday figures of Rs 7.15 crore and Rs 7.75 crore, respectively.

The numbers pale in comparison to Haasan’s recent hits. His 2022 action thriller Vikram had crossed Rs 100 crore within four days, while Indian 2 opened at Rs 30.25 crore and netted Rs 62.5 crore in four days.