Chennai, 5 June 

‘Thug Life’, the much-anticipated reunion of Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam after nearly four decades, hit theatres on Thursday to a thunderous reception in Tamil Nadu. The gangster drama saw swarms of fans celebrating the First Day First Show (FDFS) with firecrackers, cakes, and dancing outside cinemas. Some fans even poured beer on giant cutouts of Haasan and co-star Silambarasan TR.

With the film not releasing in Karnataka following a linguistic controversy, several fans reportedly travelled from Bengaluru to Hosur, just 42 km away, to catch the screening. Haasan declined to apologise for his recent comment linking the origin of Kannada to Tamil, leading to backlash from Karnataka leaders and the state’s Film Chamber.

Despite this, fans continue to show strong support. In Coimbatore, many wore T-shirts with slogans like “Mannippu Ketka Mudiyathu” (Will not apologise) and “We stand with Kamal Haasan.”

The Tamil Nadu government allowed a special screening, with one additional show on Thursday.

Thug Life features Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abirami, and Naasar, with music by AR. Rahman. Haasan’s loyal fanbase pointed to his long-standing popularity in Karnataka, recalling the 693-day run of Maro Charitra in Bengaluru as a testament.

Director Ameer defended Haasan, saying his remarks only reflected the Dravidian roots of southern languages, not disrespect.