Thug Life Global Day 1 Advance Bookings Update: Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam reunion brings in decent Rs 13.5 crore in presales with little over a day to release
Thug Life, marking the iconic reunion of Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam after decades of their previous cult release Nayakan, is all set to release in theatres on 5th June, 2025. The advance bookings for the movie have opened globally. However, the numbers so far are strictly decent, falling short of the sky-high expectations set for this big-ticket collaboration. Everyone was hoping for a blockbuster opening, but the current figures suggest the film will need to rely on strong word-of-mouth to make up for a modest start.
As of 4 PM on June 3, 2025, just one day and eight hours before its release, Thug Life has recorded an advance booking gross of approximately Rs 6 crore in India. Tamil Nadu, unsurprisingly, is leading the charge, contributing close to Rs 5 crore to the total. The film's core audience in the state has shown enthusiasm, but the numbers are not as explosive as expected for a project of this stature. The absence of a release in Karnataka this week is a notable setback, limiting the film's reach in a key South Indian market. This is certainly going to impact its opening day performance in India.
When compared to recent releases, Thug Life's advance bookings align closely with films like Amaran and Retro, which is respectable but not ideal. Given the hype surrounding the Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam reunion, the target was to match or surpass the pre-release buzz of films like Vettaiyan or even Kamal Haasan's own Vikram. However, the current figures suggest that Thug Life shall not match them.
Internationally, Thug Life is performing better, offering some optimism. The global advance booking gross stands at Rs 13.5 crore, with international markets contributing Rs 7.5 crore to the tally. North America, in particular, is shaping up to deliver the strongest numbers for a Kamal Haasan film to date.
For Thug Life to achieve the blockbuster status expected of it, the final day of advance bookings will be crucial. A significant jump in ticket sales, especially in India, could help the film gain momentum heading into its release. Beyond that, the movie will heavily depend on positive word-of-mouth to drive walk-in audiences and sustain its box office run.
The positive news for the film's producers is that they have already recovered the budget of the movie (excluding Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's remuneration) from non theatrical revenue sources. The details about the same can be found out HERE. The film has got a premium from digital partners because of the combination factor and also because the deal was inked before the release of Indian 2.
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