Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated gangster drama Thug Life entered its second weekend in theaters, but the film’s performance is far from what fans and the industry expected. Now on Day 9, the film is showing clear signs of losing steam at the box office.
Day 9 Collections Dip Further
After a strong opening week, Thug Life has started to feel the heat. The film earned approximately ₹0.75 crore on its ninth day, marking a significant slowdown in momentum. Despite its grand scale and hype, the film’s total domestic collection stands at an estimated ₹44.75 crore, just shy of the ₹50 crore mark.
Strong Start, but Weak Hold
When the film hit screens, it saw a promising launch with ₹15.5 crore on Day 1. Backed by a legendary director-actor duo—Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan—it had all the ingredients of a blockbuster. However, as the days progressed, the audience response grew lukewarm, and daily figures dropped rapidly.
| Day | Collection (Approx.) |
| Day 1 | ₹15.5 crore |
| Day 2 | ₹7.15 crore |
| Day 3 | ₹7.75 crore |
| Day 4 | ₹6.5 crore |
| Day 5 | ₹2.3 crore |
| Day 6 | ₹1.8 crore |
| Day 7 | ₹1.22 crore |
| Day 8 | ₹1.45 crore |
| Day 9 | ₹0.75 crore |
| Total | ₹44.75 crore |
What’s Holding Thug Life Back?
Several factors are likely contributing to the film’s underwhelming performance:
- Mixed Word of Mouth: While visually striking and technically rich, the story seems to have failed to connect deeply with audiences.
- Regional Setbacks: The film has been banned in Karnataka over a controversial remark, affecting its box office potential in a key market.
- Stiff Competition: Other big releases like Housefull 5 continue to dominate screens and pull family crowds.
High Budget, Low Returns?
Thug Life was made on a grand budget—reportedly over ₹200 crore—including production and promotion. With that in mind, its current performance raises concerns about how much of this investment can be recovered from the theatrical run alone. Some reports suggest that its digital rights deal could also be reconsidered due to poor footfall.
What Lies Ahead?
Unless Thug Life sees a surprising turnaround in the second weekend, it risks slipping out of the box office race completely. The next few days will be crucial to determine whether it can break the ₹50 crore mark and salvage its theatrical reputation.
