Latest news with #NationalMultiplexChains
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kamal Haasan's ‘Thug Life' fined Rs 25 lakh for early OTT release after box office failure
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's much-anticipated film Thug Life has hit another roadblock following its disappointing theatrical run. Released on June 5, the film failed to attract audiences and has been pulled from most theatres across India within three weeks. Now, its early shift to streaming has drawn penalties from multiplex chains. According to a report by Pinkvilla, Thug Life will be fined ₹25 lakh for breaching the industry-standard 8-week theatrical window before its OTT release. The film is set to premiere on Netflix just four weeks after its theatrical debut, which is half the time typically observed by national multiplex chains. A source quoted in the report said, 'There's a norm in North India to strictly follow an 8-week window. As Thug Life has breached this guideline, the National Multiplex Chains have imposed a fine on the producers. The producers and distributors will forgo their theatrical share from the Hindi version, which amounts to ₹25 lakh.' The source also revealed that Thug Life's digital rights were originally valued at ₹130 crore, but Netflix renegotiated the deal due to the film's poor performance. The final deal was reportedly settled at ₹110 crore, along with an agreement for a reduced OTT window. This marks the second time Kamal Haasan's production team has deviated from the 8-week rule, the first being with Indian 2. While multiplexes are urging the makers to delay the digital release, the film is still expected to debut on Netflix in the coming days. Thug Life features an ensemble cast including Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ali Fazal, and more. Co-written and co-produced by Haasan, the film is backed by Raaj Kamal Films International and Madras Talkies. The film drew immense controversy recently due to Haasan's remarks on Tamil-Kannada issues.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Kamal Haasan's Thug Life faces ₹25 lakh fine for early OTT release after film fails: Report
Actor Kamal Haasan and filmmaker Mani Ratnam's Thug Life failed terribly at the box office. After its release on 5 June, the film failed to sustain itself at the theatres and only in just 3rd week, it's now out of most theatres across India, as per reports. As the film now heads towards its OTT release, it seems the Kamal Haasan film will be fined for skipping its previously committed 8-week gap between its theatrical and OTT release. According to a report of Pinkvilla, Thug Life will be fined by multiplexes for not adhering to the standard theatrical window. Reportedly, due to the film's underwhelming performance at the box office, Netflix has lowered the OTT acquisition price for Thug Life. A source told the entertainment portal, 'Thug Life will premiere on Netflix in just 4 weeks. The negotiations were made after Netflix decided to reduce the OTT price of Thug Life. The film was valued at ₹ 130 crore prior to the release, and Netflix was looking to renegotiate the price at ₹ 90 crore after the dismissal run. But the parties eventually settled down at ₹ 110 crore for the digital right, with a reduced OTT window of 4 weeks.' '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 added. The report also added that this is the second time after Indian 2 that the makers have backed out of their promise to an 8-week gap window ahead of the film's OTT release. While it is said that multiplex owners are still trying to get the Thug Life team to stick to the full 8-week window, chances are slim; the film is expected to make its digital debut soon. Thug Life will stream on Netflix. The film also stars Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy and Tanikella Bharani. It is co-written by Kamal Haasan who has jointly produced the film. It is backed by Raaj Kamal Films International and Madras Talkies.
Pink Villa
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
EXCLUSIVE: Thug Life set for an OTT premiere in 4 weeks; Digital price reduced, multiplexes impose a fine
The Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam collaboration on Thug Life was among the most awaited of the year, as the duo reunited four decades after their cult Nayakan. The pre-release anticipation resulted in the makers opting for a 8-week digital window, breaking out from the usual norm of a 4-week window that exists in the Tamil Film Industry. The film however failed to impress the audience, and turned out to be a major theatrical failure. It has been almost 3 weeks since the release, the film is out of most theatres already. And now, Pinkvilla has exclusively learnt that Thug Life team have decided to break the 8-week OTT window, and opt for an early release on digital medium. 'Thug Life will premiere on Netflix in just 4 weeks. The negotiations were made after Netflix decided to reduce the OTT price of Thug Life. The film was valued at Rs 130 crore prior to the release, and Netflix was looking to renegotiate the price at Rs 90 crore after the dismissal run. But the parties eventually settled down at Rs 110 crore for the digital right, with a reduced OTT window of 4 weeks,' revealed a source. This has resulted in a breach of contract between the producers of Thug Life with the distributor and the national multiplex chains in North India. '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 Rs 25 lakh,' the source informed. Interestingly, this is the second time after Indian 2, that the producers have gone back on the commitment of an 8-week OTT window. Our source insists that the multiplex players are still fighting it out with Thug Life team to follow a 8-week window, but the odds of a shorter window for premiere are high at the moment. However, there will be stricter with the guidelines, putting a no-backout clause in the times to come. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates!
