Thug Life OTT Release Netflix: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much-anticipated film Thug Life is now streaming on Netflix, just a month after its theatrical release. The Tamil action drama is available in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam from July 3. Netflix shared the update on Instagram, writing, “It is a battle between Death and Rangaraya Sakthivel, want to see who wins the game? Watch Thug Life, now on Netflix in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam,” alongside the film’s poster.
Thug Life tells the story of Rangaraya Sakthivel, an ageing gangster whose adopted son turns against him, driven by a personal vendetta. The film features a large cast that includes Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar and Ali Fazal. The music is composed by AR Rahman, and the film is jointly produced by Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan.
The film, however, faced controversy ahead of its release. It was banned in Karnataka after Kamal Haasan made a remark stating “Kannada was born from Tamil.” Though the Supreme Court permitted its release, local distributors in Karnataka chose not to screen the film. Responding to criticism, Haasan said, “It is a democracy. I believe in the law and justice. My love for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is true. Nobody will suspect it except for those who have an agenda. I have been threatened earlier too. If I am wrong, I would apologise. If I am not, I will not.”
The Tamil action drama marked the reunion of the iconic actor-director duo after 37 years since their 1987 hit Nayakan but failed to live up to audience expectations at the box office. The film collected Rs 97.25 crore worldwide, which is well below expectations considering its reported high budget and star power.