Thug Life OTT release: From 8-week window to less than a month to stream? Kamal Haasan film faces double whammy and here’s why
Thug Life OTT release: The gangster action drama's streaming rights have been bagged by Netflix, which wants to cut down on 8-week window
Last Updated: 09.50 AM, Jun 20, 2025
Actor and producer Kamal Haasan had brimmed with confidence before the release of Thug Life. In fact, only a few days before the film hit theatres, the actor had openly stated that the gangster actioner will only be available on OTT after eight weeks of theatrical run, and to quote his words, “a pragmatic” thing to do. But now, all seems to be upside down, given Thug Life faced a sharp criticism from audience after failing to impress. Box office too, the film has not been doing well with the film falling short of Rs 50 crore in India. Now it looks like the makers are put in a difficult position, given Netflix might want to release the film earlier than eight weeks, and team have no choice by oblige.
Thug Life OTT release:
We had earlier reported that Netflix is the one which acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights of Thug Life for a fancy price. Now, the streaming giant is in a dilemma, given the Kamal Haasan-starrer which had much expectations, fell flat. This has also put the makers of Thug Life to oblige to the streaming platform’s decision to fast-track the release date on OTT, and make hay while sun shines and capitalise the little possible while the buzz is around.
Although Netflix is yet to make an official announcement on Thug Life OTT release date, reports suggest that the film might drop on June 27, cutting short the eight-week window by half. This means, Thug Life might also face a problem if at all the makers choose to release in Karnataka. Now, this is a double whammy for Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam who produced the film, given they have already incurred some losses due to the ban, and early OTT release might cut short whatever box office earnings the film might have.
Thug Life – all you need to know
Much expectations surrounded the film given it marks the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after 38 years since Nayakan. But the gangster actioner film, despite its star-studded ensemble, failed miserably to impress audience.
The cast of Thug Life includes Trisha, Simbu, Nasser, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi and others. AR Rahman scored the music.