Kamal Haasan in Thug Life film wearing sunglasses in a gangster look
Thug Life (2025): An Unsatisfactory Film Reunion
Following their critically successful 1987 film Nayakan, the two titans collaborated on Thug Life, which was directed by Mani Ratnam and starred Kamal Haasan.
The film’s star power and the reuniting of the director and actor created a lot of expectation before its June 5, 2025, release.
However, both critically and commercially, the picture has had a lackluster reception despite high hopes.
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🎬 Movie Synopsis Title: Thug Life
Mani Ratnam is the director.
Kamal Haasan is the main actor.
Silambarasan, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, Baburaj, Trisha Krishnan, and Aishwarya Lekshmi comprise the supporting cast.
Composer of Music: A. R. Rahman
Chandran, Ravi K., cinematographer
A. Sreekar Prasad is the editor.
Duration: 163 minutes
Spending limit: ₹200–300 crore
Production companies include Red Giant Movies, Madras Talkies, and Raaj Kamal Films International.
Formats of Release: EPIQ, IMAX, and Standard
Languages: Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu
Domestic opening day box office receipts of about ₹17 crore
Box Office Revenue on the Second Day: Around ₹18.95 crore onmanorama.combehance.netnavbharattimes.indiatimes.com+10en.wikipedia.org+10indiaglitz.com+10timesofindia.indiatimes.com
📉 Box Office Results
Thug Life hasn’t done well at the movie office, even with its all-star cast and the heritage of its director and star. Compared to Kamal Haasan’s previous film, Indian 2, which made ₹25.60 crore on its first day of release, the movie made about ₹17 crore domestically on its opening day.
Thug Life’s Hindi adaptation suffered much more, making less than ₹1 crore.
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With earnings of about ₹18.95 crore on the second day, there was a minor improvement and a slight increasing trend.
Nonetheless, the general reaction from viewers and reviewers has been conflicting, which could affect how well it does at the box office in the future.
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Appreciative Reception
The film’s plot and character development have drawn criticism from critics. A. R. Rahman’s music and Ravi K.
Chandran’s photography are just two examples of the film’s excellent production standards, yet the narrative has drawn criticism for being shallow and unengaging.
The movie’s attempt to balance several storylines has been criticized as ineffectual, and the characters are thought to be undeveloped.
🎶 Soundtrack and Music
A. R. Rahman’s soundtrack for Thug Life consists of nine tunes, including hits like “Jinguchaa” and “Sugar Baby.”
Geopolitical concerns caused the album’s scheduled May 16 release date to be postponed until May 24, 2025.
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Concluding Remarks
Given Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s reunion, Thug Life had the potential to be a seminal picture in Indian cinema.
But because of its weak narrative and shallow characters, it doesn’t live up to expectations. Although the film’s technical elements—such as its music and cinematography—are praiseworthy, they fall short of making up for its narrative shortcomings.
Thug Life has not yet attained the level of commercial success that was expected, and its future box office performance is yet unknown.
