Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Mani Ratnam, generated significant buzz even before its release. With music by A.R. Rahman and the presence of several other talented artists, the film was anticipated to be a special cinematic experience.
Thug Life OTT: The highly anticipated film 'Thug Life,' starring South cinema's veteran actor Kamal Haasan and renowned director Mani Ratnam, garnered immense excitement among audiences. The film was released in Indian theaters on June 5, 2025, except in Karnataka, where it was not released at all. This was due to protests arising from a controversial statement made by Kamal Haasan.
The film's budget was reported to be around 200-300 crore rupees and included several prominent actors, including Silambarasan TR. Despite this, Thug Life did not receive the expected response in theaters and underperformed at the box office. Now, the makers have attempted to give the film a new lease on life by releasing it on the OTT platform Netflix.
On OTT Before a Month of Theatrical Release
Interestingly, 'Thug Life' made its way to OTT just 28 days after its theatrical release. Netflix released the film in five languages: Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, to reach a wider audience. In its Instagram post promoting the film, Netflix wrote, "It's a battle between Mooth and Rangaraaya Shaktiwel, want to see who wins? Watch Thug Life, now on Netflix."
Failure to Release in Karnataka Proved Costly
Regarding the film's controversies, a statement by Kamal Haasan sparked a major uproar. He said, "Your language (Kannada) originated from Tamil." This statement led to protests, and Kamal Haasan firmly refused to apologize. Consequently, the film was not released in Karnataka, which also impacted the box office collection of Thug Life.
The film's music was composed by A.R. Rahman, which was well-received by the audience. Technically, the film was b, but critics found its story weak. This was the reason the film did not perform as expected in theaters despite the hype.
The film depicts a gangster drama where a man fights for his rights amidst a web of power, conspiracy, and politics. The conflict between Kamal Haasan's character, Rangaraaya Shaktiwel, and Silambarasan TR's character, Mooth, forms the core of the story. However, the slow pace of the screenplay failed to captivate the audience effectively.
Another notable aspect of 'Thug Life' was the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after three decades. Due to this, fans' expectations were sky-high. Previously, the two had worked together in the cult film Nayakan.
Will it Work Wonders on OTT?
The question now is whether this film will captivate audiences on Netflix. It has often been observed that films that flop in theaters receive a good response on OTT platforms. Whether Thug Life will be able to attract digital audiences or not will become clear in the coming weeks. Streaming in five languages on Netflix will certainly give the film a larger audience. Furthermore, Kamal Haasan's stardom could also benefit the film on the digital platform.
