‘Thug Life’ Box Office Collection Day 3: Kamal Haasan’s Film Shows Slight Weekend Recovery, Earns ₹30.15 Crore

Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's Big-Budget Film ‘Thug Life’ Faces Lukewarm Box Office Response Despite Weekend Boost

Thug Life, the highly anticipated action-drama directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Kamal Haasan, has managed to collect ₹30.15 crore (net) across all languages in India after three days at the box office. Despite an impressive pre-release buzz, the film has struggled to maintain consistent momentum.

Day-Wise Box Office Collection of Thug Life in India

Day 1 (Thursday): ₹15.5 crore

Day 2 (Friday): ₹7.15 crore

Day 3 (Saturday): ₹7.50 crore

Total (India Net, 3 Days): ₹30.15 crore

📉 Slow Start Followed by Minor Weekend Recovery

After a decent opening day, ‘Thug Life’ witnessed a sharp 53.87% drop on Friday, raising concerns about its sustainability. However, Saturday brought a slight improvement, with earnings rising marginally to ₹7.50 crore. This small uptick suggests a weekend push, although it remains below expectations for a star-led pan-India film.

🎯 Tamil Nadu Drives Weekend Numbers

The film continues to find its strongest support in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, where 2D Tamil occupancy on Saturday averaged 54.25%, peaking at 64% during night shows. The overall Tamil 2D occupancy stood at 39.12%, indicating moderate interest in key markets.

Other Tamil Nadu regions:

Madurai: ~33% occupancy

Coimbatore: ~31% occupancy

IMAX Tamil 2D Night Shows: ~48.23% occupancy

This localized boost in Tamil-speaking regions is helping the film stay afloat, even as it struggles to penetrate other markets.

🧭 Underperformance in Hindi Belt Raises Concerns

Despite Kamal Haasan’s pan-India recognition, ‘Thug Life’ is failing to connect with the Hindi-speaking audience. On Saturday, the average occupancy in the Hindi belt was only 8.92%, with morning shows opening at a dismal 3.94%.

The lackluster audience reviews, limited promotion outside the South, and tough competition from recent Hindi releases may be contributing factors to the poor performance in North India.

💬 Audience and Critical Reception

Mixed reviews from both critics and audiences have impacted the film’s word-of-mouth potential.

Viewers praised Kamal Haasan’s performance and Ratnam’s visual storytelling but criticized the film’s pacing and lack of emotional depth.

Online sentiment remains polarized, which could affect weekday footfalls moving forward.

📽️ What’s Next for ‘Thug Life’?

The film’s Sunday collections and weekday hold will be critical in determining its box office fate. Strong word-of-mouth in the South and increased urban footfalls could help stabilize its performance, but without a significant surge in the Hindi belt and Tier-2 cities, ‘Thug Life’ risks underperforming despite its star-studded appeal.