Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much awaited Thug Life, has finally hit theatres across India today, except in Karnataka. The state banned the film’s release following Kamal Haasan’s controversial statement that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” which sparked massive backlash .
Despite Kamal Haasan approaching the Karnataka High Court to allow the film’s screening, the court suggested that a “simple apology” could have resolved the issue. However, Kamal argued that his words were taken out of context and refused to apologise, claiming his comment was misinterpreted.
According to a report by The Hindu, the producers of Thug Life are expected to face a loss of Rs 35-40 crore in gross box office collections and Rs 12-15 crore in distributor share due to the Karnataka release being stalled.
Producer and distributor G Dhananjayan broke down the potential impact, citing how major Telugu films like Pushpa 2, Baahubali 2, RRR, and Kalki 2898 AD collectively earned Rs 391.2 crore from Karnataka alone, “With the four Telugu films grossing a total of Rs 5832 crore, the Karnataka box office revenue alone amounts to Rs 391.20 crore, while the north Indian market accounts for Rs 2361.60 crore. The Karnataka market accounts for around 7% of the total revenue.”
He further added, the same holds true for Tamil blockbusters like Jailer, Leo, Ponniyin Selvan, The GOAT, and Vikram, which drew significant revenue from Karnataka “For Tamil films too, the Karnataka market accounts for 7% of the total revenue.”
Also Read: Wondering Where Kamal Haasan’s ‘Thug Life’ Will Stream Online On OTT? Here’s What We Know
The controversy erupted at the audio launch of the film Thug Life in Chennai, Haasan opened with an emotional tribute to his Tamil roots, saying, “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” meaning ‘My life and my family is Tamil’. Turning to Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar, who shared the stage with him, Haasan added, “Your language was born out of Tamil. So, you are included in that line.”
It also stars Trisha, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Sanya Malhotra, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf and Vaiyapuri.
