Thug Life Movie Review Live Updates: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam film earns over Rs 10 crore

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life has earned Rs 11.67 crore at the Indian box office as of 8 pm.

X user @BeingRidhima posted on X, "Negativity spread about #ThugLife either stems from malice or from wanting it to be Nayagan at least subconsciously. it’s a good watch, in fact as a fan I’m so happy to see @ikamalhaasan in a performance heavy role. Missed his real acting prowess on big screen, what a legend!"

X user @tommyshelby_369 posted on X, "Maniratnam and Shankar have created timeless masterpieces in the past, but in today’s era, they should take a page out of Lokesh's book when it comes to presenting a legend like Kamal Haasan."

Bollywood director Sanjay Gupta shared via X, "Going to watch THUG LIFE later this evening so avoiding X for all the eager gyaanis giving too much gyaan."

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s latest collaboration Thug Life has earned Rs 9.83 crore at the Indian box office as of 6 pm.

Director Halitha Shameem took to X and wrote, "Idk, mind is totally eliminating Shakthivel and the rest. STR-Aishwarya Lakshmi- Ashok Selvan their lives, #AnjuvannaPoove worked. #ThugLife How I wish for Maniratnam sir to make a children film again!"

A fan @Being29757982 wrote on X, "Thug Life (2025): A Gritty Gangster Saga That Flickers but Fades ??½ Just watched in theaters! @ikamalhaasan & @SilambarasanTR_ lead a visually stunning but narratively uneven crime drama. High on style,low on substance. #ThugLifeReview #KamalHaasan #ManiRatnam #SilambarasanTR."

@joemiky posted on X, '#ThugLife I never thought I’ll get this much disappointment. Except the trailer reveal first half is typical Mani Ratnam movie I liked it. But Second half till climax movie not engaged us not even mani or Kamal touch . I’m a die hard fan of Kamal and mani. But...'

In 2023, during Thug Life's pre-production, it was announced that actors Dulquer Salmaan and Ravi Mohan were a part of the magnum opus. However, in March 2024, news of the actors opting out of the film came to light. The decision of the actors to step back from the film stemmed from conflicting film commitments, creating a complication in their involvement in Kamal Haasan’s movie. Now, netizens are calling Dulquer Salmaan and Ravi Mohan's exit from Kamal Haasan's film 'a good move'.

Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam’s ‘game of thrones’ is a cinematic endurance test. The film is plagued by extremely subpar writing that not only fails to make the most of its premise but also falls short in delivering an engaging experience. READ FULL THUG LIFE REVIEW HERE

Music composer Devi Sri Prasad shared a photo with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. Along with the picture, he wrote, "All the Best to the MOST AWAITED COMBO The 1 & Only ULAGANAYAGAN @ikamalhaasan sir & #ManiRatnam Sir !! TWO LEGENDS Together Again ! #ThugLife Wishing a Blockbusterrrr to the Entire Team of THUG LIFE."

Mani Ratnam-directorial Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead, is expected to premiere on Netflix in the first week of August.

@sureshbtweets posted on X, "#ThugLife is a torture … neither Shakespearean nor Korean. Mani ratnam should retire before he becomes next Ram Gopal varma. Kamal Hassan has now tanked both Shankar and mani ratnam in 6 months."

A user shared via X, "The performances and casting are apt. Kamal Hassan stands out as expected. Simbu does well but his scope feels limited due to the writing. Trisha’s role is a waste and feels useless. AR Rahman’s music is a huge drawback and out of sync.The film has few intriguing portions in the first half, good production values,  and standout cinematography. Apart from this, there is nothing worth remembering. Disappointing!"

X user posted, "#ThugLife A Boring Gangster Drama that had some intrigue in the initial set up but falls off completely after that! The first half is at-least somewhat watchable due to a few interesting portions and the set up. However, the second half is a complete dud from start to finish. Mani Ratnam showed a little spark in how he started this story but the narration is painfully slow and way too predictable. The emotions don’t really workout either."

Thug Life has been banned in Karnataka due to a statement made by Kamal Haasan. An X page shared videos of fans bursting firecrackers outside a single-screen theatre in Hosur and wrote, "Thuglife is banned in Karnataka, but no one can stop our love for Kamal Haasan. All the fans in Bangalore are gathered here in Hosur!”

X user @parthispeaks posted, "#ThugLife Easily the worst movie of the year. Kamal shines at times & STR was not used to his potential! Mani Ratnam has become a scam in the last 10 years. Highly disappointed! Don't go & skip it!"

Trade tracker Sacnilk shared that Thug Life has earned around Rs 4.25 crore in India as of 1 pm on Thursday.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan shared his reaction to the stampede that occurred Wednesday evening as thousands gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bangalore’s maiden IPL title win. He posted on X, "Heart wrenching tragedy in Bangalore.  Deeply distressed and my heart reaches out to the families of the victims in this moment of grief. May the injured recover soon."

@Injoker_3993 posted on X, "#ThugLife started off with interesting first 30 mins but falters spectacularly after that. It is most ordinary betrayal and revenge drama. A big let down from legendary combo of KH, MR and ARR. Only person who was at top of his game was Ravi K Chandran!"

Producer G Dhananjeyan posted, "#ThugLife is a mass & class combined commercial entertainer with powerful performances and fantastic making by #ManiRatnam sir. #KamalHaasan sir gives a classic performance & @SilambarasanTR_ is amazingly mass. Solid performances from @trishtrashers @AshokSelvan #Abirami #AishweryaLekshmi #Nasser sir #JojuGeorge & others. #RaviKChandran ‘s cinematography @arrahman sir songs & BGM is fabulous. Overall a good watch in theatre with many interesting moments. Don’t miss to experience."

Kamal Haasan's nearly 30-year age difference between his leading ladies, Trisha Krishnan (42) and Abhirami (42), coupled with their romantic scenes, have led lot of social media discussion. Director Mani Ratnam shared in an earlier media interaction that age-gap relationships exist in society, and cinema must reflect society. But the Internet called it a "glorified midlife fantasy," questioning whether such age-gap portrayals were appropriate or even relevant in modern storytelling. Some also mentioned film industry's continuing obsession with older male actors romancing women "young enough to be their daughters".

Criticising the alleged negative campaigns against the film, a user posted on X, "The movie is just too good. Guys don't believe negative reviews They are paid reviewers from other regions just go and watch with family. It gives goosebumps in theatres #KamalHasan king always king."

Kamal Haasan's film Thug Life will not release in Karnataka — but will that really hurt the film? Before the controversy, Thug Life had very little buzz. But ever since the controversy erupted, the film has consistently remained in the news. According to film industry experts, the producers might face a loss of around Rs 12 crore, which is significantly less compared to the publicity the film has received due to the controversy. The film's case is still under judicial consideration.

@MoviesAbout12 posted on X, "Shock of the year.  #Indian2 >> #ThugLife as a movie and never in a million years would I have thought Mani Ratnam would make such a third class outdated boring and terrible film . Him and #KamalHaasan? should get belt treatment for promoting the biggest scam of the year!"

@sidhuwrites shared via X, "#ThugLife Interval: Definitely not as bad as the reviews I've been reading since morning. Pretty good gangster drama so far, in Mani Ratnam's settled style. Kamal and STR are at their best, the film had a solid start and for a change, I've enjoyed some conversational parts more than the action, being a gangster film. The negatives would be some Trisha portions and the interval block, but otherwise liking the film so far!"

A fan shared on X, "#thuglife - Overall classic Entertainer. #Manirathnam with his screenplay writing  again proves why he’s the best #KamalHaasan? no words..his screen presence is fiiereyyyyyh #SilambarasanTR  his swag. Modern movie with vintage aesthetics @Georgej39718648."

@MoviesAbout12 posted on X, "#ThugLife Mani sir what were u thinking? Worse than #Indian2 #KamalHaasan? is aged and gives the weakest  perf. #SilambarasanTR is wasted in a role with 0 scope. #Trisha is in a dummy role. Slow boring and hard to sit through this bad gangster drama. Semma mokka! 1.25/5."

"#ThugLife ~ Turd Life Predictable gangster saga by Mani Ratnam with an Outdated story by Kamal Haasan & an Ineffective score by ARR. What works is the good De-aging work in the beginning, and the rest is big blunder.?? (1?/5)," shared a user on X.

Actor Joju George recently posted a video on his Instagram story featuring him and his daughter, Sara, singing ‘Muthamazhai’, a song from the film’s album. The clip shows Joju George and Sara candidly singing the song, which originally went viral during the film’s audio launch. The track, composed by AR Rahman, was originally sung by Dhee in Tamil and has become one of the most talked-about numbers from the film.

@CinemaWithAB shared via X, "#ThugLife - Young #KamalHaasan & #SilamabarasanTR portion was so beautiful & connected emotionally The entire Vintage portion & Colour tone was good."

X user @chandler999999 wrote, "It was uninteresting, routine, emotionless aimless and unimpressive in every way, yet undeniably musical and stylish.#Thuglife."

X user @Harish_NS149 shared, "#ThugLifeReview A technically solid film with stunning visuals & powerful BGM Kamal Haasan is classy, but it’s STR who truly electrifies the screen, especially in the climax. Story feels very familiar, staging lacks freshness. Trisha underwhelms. High on style, low on surprise.Just OK."

X user @NaanPadamParpen posted, "Mani Ratnam’s making still holds class, & Rahman’s music is solid. Performance from Kamal, STR, Abhirami,Trisha, Joju & others are top-notch. But the story is predictable & flat screenplay. Zero engaging moments throughout. Massive expectations… TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT."

@anandhumanoj666 shared via X, "#ThugLife had potential but ends up dragging. Kamal Haasan delivers a solid performance, but his never-ending monologues wear you down. Simbu handles his part well, but even that can’t rescue the sluggish, flat second half. The trademark Mani Ratnam spark? Nowhere to be found. Below average. ?2.5 / 5."

X user shared from USA, "Predictable, Passable and routine story. Nothing new to offer. #Camera work is great and some portions BGM is good as well. Intimacy scenes between #KamalHaasan and #Trisha was an unnecessary one."

The Mani Ratnam film was released in over 1,000 screens in the US on Wednesday evening, as shared by @PrimeMediaUS.

A fan @RaghuTweetzX shared on X, "A totally predictable plot and it happens exactly like what they showed in the trailer. Kamal and Simbu have enough and more scenes to score in performance and they have done well. Maniratnam has chosen to go with a rather flat narrative than scenes with adrenaline rush or knee jerk surprises. The race for power between Kamal and Simbu is what the first half delivers. Hoping for a better show and twists in the second half."

Although Kamal Haasan refrained from addressing the Kannada language controversy directly, he stated that he would comment on it at a later time. He extended gratitude to the people of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support. READ MORE

At the Thug Life audio launch, Kamal Haasan attracted controversy for saying, 'Kannada was born out of Tamil.' Pro-Kannada groups have threatened to ban his film in the state unless he apologises.

A fan @itzSekar posted on X, "#ThugLife first half review - Cult classic with banger interval portion. The movie kicks off in style, follows a familiar path for a few minutes, and then picks up! -#KamalHaasan delivers with sheer class- #SilambarasanTR as gangster steals the show with explosive energy. - Cinematography & ARR BGM are next level Jinguchaa Song. INTERVAL: STR MASS BLAST Dialogue. Waiting for the 2nd Half! PAISA VASOOL FOR KH AND STR FANS #ThugLifeReview #ThugLifeFDFS."

A post on X read, "#Thuglife :- Inside Report First Half: PURE ADRENALINE!  Mani Ratnam’s genius kicks off with a BANG—stunning visuals, raw energy, and Kamal Haasan owning every frame like a BOSS. The plot grips you tight, with slick action and dialogues that hit like bullets. Music? AR Rahman’s score is a straight-up VIBE!  #Mass Second Half: Levels UP!  The intensity doubles, emotions run deep, and the twists? MIND-BLOWN!  Kamal’s performance is Oscar-worthy, and the ensemble cast (shoutout to the whole crew!) delivers big time. Climax is a rollercoaster—tears, cheers, and goosebumps guaranteed!  #ThugLifeRules. This ain’t just a movie, it’s a CULTURAL RESET!  Run, don’t walk, to the theaters!"