Thug Life OTT Release: Double Blow For Kamal's Film - Netflix Slashes ₹20 Cr, Multiplexes Impose ₹25 Lac Fine

Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's much-hyped film Thug Life didn't quite hit the mark in theatres. Released on June 5, the action drama fizzled out quicker than expected and has already vanished from most cinema screens across the country by its third week.

Thug Life OTT Release

Naturally, eyes are now on its OTT release - but that move has stirred up a bit of drama.

According to a report by Pinkvilla, Thug Life is set to arrive on Netflix far ahead of the usual schedule. That's right - instead of waiting the standard 8-week window between theatrical and digital release (a rule followed quite strictly in North India), the film will drop online in just 4 weeks. And that decision is coming at a cost.

Multiplex chains aren't thrilled about the breach and have slapped a fine on the makers for skipping the agreed-upon timeline. As per sources, the penalty is around ₹25 lakh - essentially the producers and distributors will have to forgo their theatrical share from the Hindi version.

Thug Life Heads To OTT early But Not Without A Price

"There's a norm in North India to strictly follow a 8-week window. As Thug Life time has breached the guidelines, the National Multiplex Chains have imposed a fine on the producers. It's a nominal amount, where the producers and distributors of Thug Life have to forgo their theatrical share from Hindi. Incidentally, the amount comes to ₹25 lakh," the source told the website.

What pushed the makers to take this call?

The film's disappointing box office performance seems to have led to Netflix reworking the deal. Originally valued at ₹130 crore, the streaming giant reportedly offered to acquire Thug Life for ₹90 crore post-release. After some negotiation, they agreed on ₹110 crore - with the catch being a shorter theatrical window.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time the team has broken the 8-week promise. A similar situation unfolded with Indian 2, also starring Kamal Haasan.

The star-studded cast of Thug Life includes Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, and Tanikella Bharani.

If all goes as expected, Thug Life will start streaming on Netflix in the first week of July.

While it may not have lived up to expectations in cinemas, the OTT release might just give it a second chance to impress audiences - this time, from the comfort of their couches.

Thug Life Box Office

The movie was released to gigantic expectations in multiple languages. However, the film was hit by negative reviews. After earning Rs 15.5 crore (nett) at the Indian box office on day one, it has made around Rs 48 crore in the country.

The Tamil version has contributed Rs 42 crore. The Telugu version has raked in Rs 4.32 crore while collecting Rs Rs 1.68 crore.