After a strong opening, the highly anticipated film ‘Thug Life’, directed by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, experienced a notable drop in its box office performance on the second day. According to preliminary estimates from the Sacnilk website, the film garnered Rs 7.50 crore (across all languages) in India on Day 2, a significant decrease from its opening day earnings of Rs 15.5 crore. This brings the total net collection for the first two days in India to Rs 23 crore.

Concerns Over Sustaining Momentum

The decline in collections raises critical questions about the film’s ability to maintain its momentum over the weekend, particularly in non-Tamil markets.

Occupancy Rates Show Mixed Results

The Tamil version of ‘Thug Life’ maintained a moderate occupancy rate of 31.41% on Friday, with notable improvements throughout the day in Tamil Nadu. Chennai, for instance, recorded a 59% occupancy for night shows. However, regions like Madurai and Coimbatore saw occupancy rates hovering around 25-30%.

In contrast, the film struggled in the Hindi and Telugu markets. The Hindi version achieved a mere 6.48% overall occupancy on Friday, with evening and night shows failing to attract audiences. The Telugu version performed slightly better at 14.17%, yet still fell short of expectations for a pan-Indian release.

Star Power Yet to Translate into Box Office Success

Despite featuring a star-studded cast that includes Kamal Haasan, Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, and Ali Fazal, the film’s performance suggests it has not yet resonated with a wider audience. As the weekend approaches, the filmmakers are hopeful for a turnaround driven by positive word-of-mouth and fan support. However, without a significant increase in occupancy across all language markets, ‘Thug Life’ risks not meeting its ambitious expectations and production scale.

Looking Ahead

The upcoming days will be crucial in determining whether the collaboration between Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan can recover at the box office. Industry leaders will be watching closely to see if the film can regain traction and fulfill its potential.