Thug Life OTT Release: Netflix to Stream Kamal Haasan Film Early After Disaster Result?

One of the most anticipated films of the year from Kamal Haasan, Thug Life managed to unite critics and moviegoers in their dislike for it. Ever since the morning shows, people have been unanimously criticizing the film, and the same started to show in domestic box-office collections.

Even though the Rs. 17 crores that Thug Life managed to rake in on its opening day was a decent number, it's nowhere near the expectation that the duo of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan created with just the title announcement last year. Having expectations from your favorite artists, not just in life but also in their work, can sometimes feel like a regrettable mistake.

Mani Ratnam was never known for his box-office success in the first place. For him to decide to cater to the masses and throw in random action sequences for no reason makes little to no sense in Thug Life, and audiences could literally see the director wasting his biggest strength, which is drama, to try and be someone else.

That being said, Thug Life also made a promise to the fans that they will only come on OTT eight weeks after its release. During the movie's promotions, media asked Kamal about the deal, and the legendary actor boasted that it was a strategy and that he would try to get more of his films to release after the 8-week window.

This was a hero elevation moment, at least from a media standpoint, because everybody is of the opinion that OTT platforms are currently demanding more from makers and are deciding when a movie should release. Even though Thug Life's decision is laudable, poor box office can change decisions in a jiffy.

Even Karthik Subbaraj's Reto revealed that they will go for an 8-week window, and the deal was signed owing to their Hindi release, but the situation changed rapidly after the film's box-office result. The same thing will definitely happen to Thug Life, owing to the unanimous negative response that the movie is getting.

There won't be any surprise if Thug Life lands on Netflix by July 1st, as the OTT giant will look to gain good viewership numbers from those who decide to skip the film in theaters.