'Thug Life' divides viewers: Kamal Haasan fans celebrate, others slam the film

New Indian Express

2 days ago

Amid much hype and controversy, Thug Life has finally hit theatres—everywhere except Karnataka.
In Karnataka, the film is mired in controversy following Kamal Haasan's remark that "Kannada was born out of Tamil," which sparked backlash from local groups. Adding to the tension, some audiences have also criticized the 70-year-old actor for sharing romantic and kissing scenes with significantly younger co-stars.
Although, banned in Karnataka, Kamal Haasan fans gathered in Hosur, where they burst crackers and celebrated the release of the movie.
Outside Karnataka, fans of Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR are celebrating Thug Life. However, not all reviews have been glowing—some critics have responded cautiously, with a few even slamming the film for its narrative and execution.
By now, netizens have also shared their opinions online, offering a wide range of reactions that reflect the film's polarizing impact.
One Venky Reviews wrote on X describing the movie as a "Boring gangster Drama that had some intrigue in the initial set up but falls off completely after that!" He rated the movie 2/5.
One AmuthaBharathi wrote on X: #ThugLife First half - Above average - Started off very well with a superb Vintage portion of 15 mins - #SilambarasanTR entry and O Maara song - #KamalHaasan elevating the film his performance on both Emotional & Action blocks - Trisha, Abhirami portions with KamalHaasan are super interesting - While in the mid of the first half the film has bit dropped in the screenplay & later on towards interval block picks up the phase - ARR BGM works partially at places First half ends off with a Bang on Face off of KH & STR