Thug Life Box Office Collection Prediction Day 1: Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam’s reunion sells tickets worth Rs 9.6 crore, lower than Indian 2 and Vikram

As per Sacnilk, combined with block seats, the total advance sales of Thug Life on Thursday stands at Rs 9.6 crore. While this is a significant number, the figure is much lower than Haasan’s last two releases. S Shankar’s vigilante film Indian 2 last year had advance sales of Rs 17.9 crore. Meanwhile, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2022 action thriller Vikram clocked in Rs 15.3 crore as advance sales.

The advance sales of Thug Life are also much lower than the two instalments of Ratnam’s period epic Ponniyin Selvan, which released in 2022 and 2023 respectively. While PS1 sold tickets worth Rs 18.95 crore, PS 2 also registered advance sales worth Rs 11 crore.

A big blow to Thug Life comes in the form of it not releasing in Karnataka on Thursday. The remarks made by Haasan at a promotional event in Chennai sparked a backlash in Karnataka, prompting the KFCC to announce that the film would not be screened in the state unless Haasan apologises. He has refused to do so.

In response, the production company co-founded by Haasan filed a plea before the High Court seeking protection for the film’s release. The Karnataka High Court rapped the actor-politician for refusing to apologise for his “Kannada was born out of Tamil” remark. Observing that a “single apology could have resolved the situation,” the HC said, “Freedom of expression cannot be extended to the extent of hurting someone’s sentiment, of a mass in particular… Spoken words cannot be taken back, and they can only be apologised….you cannot unscramble the scrambled egg.”

However, the counsel for Haasan asserted that the comments by the actor were not made with “malice,” and thus did not warrant an apology. “It is not ego at all,” he argued and submitted that the screening of the movie would not be insisted upon in Karnataka till the issue gets resolved through dialogue with Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce.

Also Read: Pro-Kannada organisation warns theatre owners on Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life release in Bengaluru amid Kannada language row

The court also scheduled the next hearing on June 10 for the plea by Haasan’s production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, seeking adequate security for the movie’s release in the state amid widespread protests and a boycott call by the KFCC following the actor’s remark. The KFCC has also demanded that Haasan apologise.