Thug Life box office collection day 1: Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam's film starts well despite being banned in Karnataka, earns Rs...

On its first day, Thug Life earned ₹14.94 crore, according to Sacnilk.com. The film brought a lot of buzz as it reunited Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after many years since Nayakan.

Despite facing issues in Karnataka due to a controversy over Kamal Haasan’s Kannada language remark, the movie still opened well at the box office. As per the latest update, Thug Life had 48.72% occupancy in Tamil theatres on Thursday. Morning shows saw 50.66% occupancy, and afternoon shows were close behind at 50.35%. The evening shows dropped a bit to 45.15%. The film is likely to maintain this pace and benefit from the extended weekend ahead.

Thug Life missed out on an estimated ₹35–40 crore because it wasn’t released in Karnataka, according to a report by The Hindu. The issue began when Kamal Haasan said at an event that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” which led to a strong backlash. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce then warned of a ban on the film’s release in the state. Kamal, however, chose not to apologise and said his words were misunderstood.

Refusing to apologise for his controversial remark regarding the origins of the Kannada language, Kamal Haasan has informed the Karnataka High Court that his production house has decided not to release his movie Thug Life in the state. The High Court bench, headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, recorded this submission and adjourned the matter to June 10. While adjourning, the bench advised actor Kamal Haasan to at least use his discretion regarding the matter now.

Senior Counsel Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for Kamal Haasan, submitted that the actor cannot be compelled to apologise or issue apologies in a certain manner. The bench intervened, stating that the court had not asked the actor to apologise. The counsel for the actor maintained that while the court had not demanded an apology, the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce had. "We will discuss the matter with the film body. We will not release the movie Thug Life in Karnataka," the counsel stated.

The counsel further added that he had spoken to Kamal Haasan regarding the court's observations on the case that morning and conveyed them to him. "Kamal Haasan has expressed his respect towards the Kannada language in his letter to the film body. The actor has not issued any statement showing the Kannada language in a poor light. He has not used any inappropriate words regarding the Kannada language. Since there is no ill motive, he is not tendering apologies," the counsel stated after reading Kamal Haasan's letter to the Karnataka film body in court.

The bench observed that instead of "beating around the bush," the addition of one word would have resolved the matter. "His ego must be coming in the way. Neither Kamal Haasan nor anyone should cause pain to the feelings of the people," the bench stated. The counsel for the actor submitted, "We should not get divided on the basis of language. Our country is the same. Kannada and Tamil languages both should thrive. The court has not directed Kamal Haasan to tender his apologies in a certain manner."