Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited film Thug Life, which faced controversy before its June 5 theatrical release, has now quietly made its way to Netflix. The Tamil gangster drama is available for streaming in five languages—Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Made on an estimated budget of ₹200–300 crore, the film skipped a theatrical release in Karnataka. This decision followed backlash over Kamal Haasan’s remark at a promotional event, where he claimed that Kannada was born out of Tamil. The statement angered many in Karnataka, and despite the criticism, Haasan chose not to apologise. As a result, the film’s release in the state was withheld, which is believed to have affected its overall box office earnings.
Thug Life, which also stars Silambarasan TR in a major role, has now surprised fans and the industry with an early OTT debut. The film started streaming on Netflix on Thursday morning, just two days before it was due to complete a month in theatres.
The unexpected digital release has sparked fresh conversations, with many wondering if the film’s theatrical run was cut short due to the controversy and its impact on earnings. Now on Netflix, the film is expected to reach a wider audience across India and beyond.