Lost Rs 100 crore in theatres, Rs 25 lakh for OTT

When it was first announced that Kamal Haasan and Mani, Ratnam would be coming together for Thug Life, many expected that this film would be a mega blockbuster at the box office. However, this film has turned out to be one of the biggest disasters of all time in Indian cinema.

Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Mani Ratnam, faced a major setback after its poor box office performance. Released on June 5, 2025, the film struggled to attract audiences, especially in its third week.

Initially, the producers had agreed to maintain an eight-week exclusive theatrical window, especially for the Hindi version released across national multiplex chains.

However, due to the film’s underperformance, the makers decided to release it on Netflix just four weeks after its theatrical debut.

This early OTT release violated their prior agreement with theater chains. As a result, the Multiplex Association of India fined the makers ₹25 lakh for breaching the commitment.

Interestingly, the OTT rights were originally priced at ₹130 crore, but after the film’s weak run, Netflix renegotiated and bought it for approximately ₹110 crore. Despite the financial loss, the producers opted for a quicker OTT release to recover part of their investment.

This film has become a loss venture for everyone involved in the worst possible way.