Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life faces Rs 25 lakh penalty for early OTT premiere: Report

Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life faces Rs 25 lakh penalty for early OTT premiere: Report

Actor Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much-anticipated film Thug Life has reportedly been fined Rs 25 lakh for breaching the standard theatrical-to-OTT release window. The film, which hit theatres on June 5, failed to impress audiences and has been pulled from most theatres within just three weeks of its release.

Thug Life, which generated significant pre-release buzz due to the collaboration between Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam, struggled to sustain itself in theatres amid poor reviews and lukewarm audience reception.

According to a report by Pinkvilla, the producers have now opted to release the film on Netflix much earlier than originally committed—within just four weeks of its theatrical debut—thereby violating the industry-standard 8-week window that multiplexes in North India usually enforce.

Sources told the entertainment portal that Netflix renegotiated its digital acquisition terms following the film's underperformance. Initially valued at Rs 130 crore, Thug Life’s OTT rights were ultimately sold to Netflix for Rs 110 crore after the streaming platform sought a price reduction. The agreement included an expedited streaming release, reportedly agreed upon by all parties involved.

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“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,” a source told Pinkvilla. “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.”

This isn’t the first time the makers have faced backlash over OTT window commitments. The same issue occurred earlier with Indian 2, another Kamal Haasan project. Despite efforts from multiplex owners to persuade the team to stick to the 8-week timeline, Thug Life is expected to make its digital debut on Netflix in early July.

Produced under Raaj Kamal Films International and Madras Talkies, Thug Life features an ensemble cast including Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, and Tanikella Bharani. The film was co-written and co-produced by Kamal Haasan himself.

With its theatrical run faltering and the OTT release set earlier than planned, Thug Life now seeks to salvage its reputation and viewership in the digital space. However, the deviation from standard release norms has once again ignited industry discussions about the balance between theatrical commitments and streaming deals.