Thug Life Karnataka Distributor BACKS OUT / Mohanlal Ooty house for Rent

 Distributor of Thug Life in Karnataka says that he is not releasing the film. One reason is that the multiplexes are giving 30 # of the screens, negative reviews and Producers ( RKF have to return the advance paid by the Distributor  have I and Madras Talkies have not returned advance running to crores as the film skipped the release date and will hereafter given on commission basis. Read on : Venkatesh Kamalakar, who had acquired the Karnataka distribution rights under VR Films, confirmed that Thug Life will not be released in the state — at least not by him.

“We are not planning to release, and, we will not release. We had taken the distribution rights for Thug Life, but could not release it earlier for reasons already known,” he says.

When asked if the film might still hit screens later, Venkatesh explains: “It’s already been two weeks. The film is underperforming everywhere, collections are falling, and multiplexes are not enthusiastic. Moreover, the multiplexes now offer only 30 per cent of the original expectations."

Insiders say financial issues are also part of the problem. A reliable source reveals to Cinema Express that the producer has yet to repay a significant advance amount back to the distributor, which runs up to crores, and its settlement is still pending.

 

We already know that Mammootty’s house in Panampillu Nagar Ernakulam is available for rent and cost only Rs 75,000 per day. Now Mohanlal;s Ooty bungalow is out for rent- Rs 37000 plus taxes. It is a 15 minute drive from Ooty bustand. Interiors are wooden and living room has a miniature of Lal and a well stocked Mini Bar that is called Gun Room, Here Lalettan personal Chef cooks for you.

In Chennai on the ECR stretch is the Sridevi bungalow that is available for rent. Take a look; Recently, Janhvi Kapoor opened the doors to her mother Sridevi's opulent Chennai home According to Airbnb's official website, Kapoor's Chennai home has been listed in the 'Icons' category, alongside other celebrity-owned properties. The website also states that the 27-year-old actress will be welcoming two guests who will have exclusive access to the lavish four-acre property. These guests will also get to enjoy local delicacies like Ghee Podi Rice, Andhra Biryani, Pesarattu Dosa, and Palkova, with the Bollywood actress.

In July 2022, the Kapoors sold their triplex apartment, located on the 14th, 15th, and 16th floors of a premium residential tower in Juhu, to Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao and his wife Patralekhaa for Rs 44 crore. Later in November (2022), the Kapoors purchased a spacious duplex home in Pali Hill, Bandra, for around Rs 65 crore.

Paid Negative reviews killed RETRO says Karthik / Thug Life 5th 100 cr / Vijayakanth son escapes Flop

 After Paid reviews to say positive aspects of a film, now Director Karthik Subburaj says that "I am fine woith critical reviews of a film. But this paid hatred and paid agenda to share negative reviews for a film... I just can't take that. " The Director was referring to his film Retro that he claimed was a blockbuster but in reality had just about scraped through. The Director had earlier thamked the media for good reviews and went on to announce a Rs 235 crore collection. It was silent on whether it was a theatrical collection but it turned out that it was inclusive of all earnings from theatre and non theatrical. The silver lining was that Suriya donated Rs 10 crore which he said was profit to his Charity Foundation.

A few days back a producer was seen in a video saying that his small film was not reviewed bya big reviewer who thinks that he is GOD as he could ask him to pay from the review. Irony was that this Producer was te pioneer to created a Twitter lobby of critics and industry watchers – trackers with the sole intention to give inflated box office figures for a set of producers that he advocated. The lobby that he created has now outgrown him amd become a rogue lobby.

Lets hear what Karthik and Bhardwaj Ranhan the host of the website has to say. Karthik says - He said "I am fine with critical reviews of a film. But this paid hatred and paid agenda to share negative reviews for a film... I just can't take that. " The host also acknowledged his views. Bharadwaj Rangan said "Even I heard from somebody that every actor has an enemy camp on Twitter, they are paid to run a campaign and discredit someone who shares good things about a film. " Karthik Subbaraj said "Not just that, they have an office, and they get paid for it. "

He added that, when he went to the theatre to watch Retro with the audience they seemed to enjoy it. "Everyone who I spoke to liked the film, they told me they are confused as to why the film got negative reviews. This paid campaign is very dangerous and it is very shocking. "

Karthik Subbaraj stated that Suriya’s Retro will continue as a web series. The filmmaker revealed that he has plans to release his film as a web series by extending each phase of the film into an episode. Retro on OTT did not create any ripples .

Kamal Haasan 100 crore worldwide grossers

In his career, Kamal Haasan only has 4 films that have entered the 100 crore club worldwide so far. It is to be noted that we’ve only considered films starring him as the leading actor, hence Kalki 2898 AD has not been included.

Check out Kamal Haasan’s 100 crore+ worldwide grossers below:

1. Vikram (2022) – 426 crores
2. Indian 2 (2024) – 150.94 crores
3. Dasavathaaram (2008) – 104.85 cr gross
4. Vishwaroopam (2013) – 103.60 cr gross

Thug Life is only 3.51 crores away from becoming his 5th 100 crore grosser globally. That milestone is expected to be unlocked in its lifetime!

The Late Vijayakant’s son Shanmuga Pandian starrer Tamil action film, Padai Thalaivan kickstarted in an impressive manner at the box office. However, on its 4th day it slumped but the theatre collection till date has recovered 80 % of the budget as it is around Rs 5-6 crores only. The OTT- TV and digital rights combined might pull the film to a no profit- loss situation.

The Shanmuga Pandian starrer opened at 1.29 crores which was not a very bad opening. However, on its second day, it saw a drop of around 5% and amassed 1.22 crores. But on the third day, the movie again saw a stellar growth of 43% and earned 1.75 crores.

Now, according to the early estimates in Sacnilk, the movie saw a crash of around 50%. It only garnered 87 lakhs which is the lowest day-wise collection for the film till now. The total India net collection of Padai Thalaivan 5.13 crore. Including the taxes, the gross collection comes to 6.05 crore.

Anirudh to Marry Sun TV - Sunrisers Kavya ? / Trisha- STR Fees for Thug Life

 

Jailer music composer, Anirudh Ravichander and Sun Risers Hyderabad IPL team SRH CEO, Kavya Maran's dating buzz has been going on for a long time now. It was on March 2025, when reports claimed that the couple might have been dating each other. Later, the music composer's team denied the claims and revealed that the duo was just good friends and that they weren't dating. Now, recent buzz claims that the couple is soon going to get married soon. Recently, a post has gone viral on the discussion platform Reddit, wherein it's stated that Anirudh Ravichander and SRH CEO Kavya Maran are soon going to tie the knot. While there's no confirmation of this, netizens have been commenting on it. While some believed that the buzz might be true, given that the couple was often spotted in restaurants, on the other hand, a user even claimed to having visiting them during a Las Vegas trip.

Some other users mentioned that he/she had witnessed in an interview that a tarot reader predicted that Anirudh Ravichander would marry a very well-educated woman from the telecommunication broadcasting industry. Well, it's worth mentioning that no confirmation about the same has been made from Anirudh and Kavya's sides.

One user commented, "I was watching an old interview of Anirudh's where this tarot reader is predicting his love life and she says He'll marry someone who is very well educated and someone who's in the telecommunication broadcasting industry. Honestly, crazy if this is actually true." Another user wrote, "Might actually be true seeing how I have seen in other subs where people said they have seen both of them having dinner at star hotels."

Dating buzz between Anirudh Ravichander and SRH CEO, Kavya Maran

For the unversed, Kavya Maran is the CEO of the IPL team, SRH, and she often grabbed attention while in the stands. Well, during IPL 2024, Kavya started getting famous and gathering attention, and people started digging deeper for more information on the same. Reports have claimed that Kavya might have been dating Anirudh, but later, his team denied the claims and mentioned that they were just good friends. Kavya was reported to be single by them, talking about Anirudh, he has been speculated to be dating Kreethy Suresh back in 2023, but the actress later confirmed that there was nothing going on between the duo.

Kavya, she is the daughter of Kalanithi Maran, the Chennai based tycoon. He is the founder of Sun Group. Talking about Kavya, she manages some Sun Group music channels. Regarding her background, she earned her MBA from a business school in England after graduating from England.

Source; https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/kavya-maran-is-marrying-anirudh-ravichandera-speculations-64551

Trisha Krishnan’s Fee For Thug Life

The lead actress, Trisha Krishnan, has reportedly received Rs 12 crore for her role, as per Daily Jagran. This amount is said to be 3 times higher than her fees for the Ajith Kumar-led film Good Bad Ugly. Trisha and Kamal Haasan’s pairing in the film was also criticized over the age gap between the two actors.

Silambarasan, Ashok Selvan & Joju George’s Fees For Thug Life

Silambarasan, aka STR, was paid Rs 40 crore, whereas Ashok Selvan and Joju George were paid Rs 1 crore. Abhirami was paid Rs 50 lakhs.

How Much Did Kamal Haasan Charge For Thug Life?

Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam have reportedly not received separate paycheques for their work as they have jointly produced the film and will likely take their share from the profits. Thus, the total cast fee amounts to Rs 53.5 crores. The fees for actors Rohit Saraf and Ali Fazal are not yet known.

Lowest-grossing film for Kamal Haasan since Vishwaroopam II?

The latest Kollywood action drama is turning out to be Kamal Haasan‘s lowest-grossing film in the last 7 years. In 2018, his Vishwaroopam II earned between 46 and 48 crore gross globally. After that, Thug Life has amassed the lowest score for him.

Worldwide collection breakdown:

• India net – 42.22 crores
• India gross – 49.81 crores
• Overseas gross – 40.50 crores
• Worldwide gross – 90.31 crores

To earn less than Indian 2

From here, Thug Life might cross the 100 crore mark, but won’t cover much distance. It is heading for a lifetime collection of below 110 crores. With this, the film will end up earning much less than Indian 2, which itself was a massive disaster. For those who don’t know, Indian 2 earned 150.94 crore gross globally.

 

BENZ set in Pre Leo Era / After OTT Release Tourist Family still collects / Kamal's Thug Life costumes

 

If Madonna is reprising the role of Elisa sister of Leo in Benz then is the film set in a period much before Leo ? Elisa is killed in Leo ‘s flashback scenes and Vijay decides to take up a new identity as Leo. Benz stars Raghava Lawrence in the titular role, while Nivin plays Walter the antagonist. One out of three leading ladies links Benz to Leo. What has Benz been doing in the years following his own story ? Could Walter be the elder brother of Rolex (Vikram’s antagongonist)

When it comes to storytelling, costume designer Amritha Ram considers Mani Ratnam a “magician”. Her belief was strengthened further when she worked with the filmmaker on Thug Life, styling Kamal Haasan in the action drama. “I see why Mani sir and Kamal sir get along. Their discipline and homework is spot on. Before beginning work, Mani sir gave a holistic understanding of the world. Then we did character analysis. The film is divided into three parts in terms of looks — Kamal sir’s Delhi portions, then Nepal, and Japan. The look requirements were locked in the research phase,” she explains.

Thug Life — also starring Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, and Abhirami — sees Haasan as a gangster who is betrayed by those closest to him. When crafting his look, Ram says the challenge was to capture both the superstar’s gravitas and the character’s reinvention. “We crafted a look that’s edgy yet timeless, keeping Kamal sir’s larger-than-life persona in mind,” she reveals. 

The most challenging part was cracking Haasan’s look for the Nepal portions of the narrative. “The look needed to be minimalistic and rooted in Nepal. Zeroing in on that was hard, because it had to be balanced while capturing the maximalism of the region’s cultural tapestry. It became my favourite look,” she exclaims.

M Sasikumar’s film arrived on JioHotstar on June 2 and has been getting love from the OTT audiences, but it is getting enough love from the theater audiences as well. In 7 days, the film has earned a total net collection of 74 lakh at the box office!

After its OTT arrival on June 2, Tourist Family earned 26 lakh at the box office. Ever since the film churned out decent numbers, earning 20 lakh this weekend, June 6 – 8! On June 2, the day of the release, day 32, the film earned 63 lakhs! It would be interesting to see if the film closes its theatrical run this week.

Trending

Check out the day-wise collection of the film in the theaters after its OTT release on JioHotstar!

• June 3: 26 lakh
• June 4: 19 lakh
• June 5: 6 lakh
• June 6: 3 lakh
• June 7: 5 lakh
• June 8: 7 lakh
• June 9: 8 lakh

Total: 74 lakh

 

Shankar is lowesr ranked Despite Mani's Thug Life / Balayya Akhanda 2 to Roar

 

A big relief for Mani Ratnam ! on IMDb his Thug Life is not the wirst rated film. The worst rated is Indian 2 and directed by Shankar. Which film of Kamal tops the ranking platform ? Read ;

If we observe Kamal Haasan’s filmography, especially the movies in which he played a major role, the one that has received the lowest user rating on IMDb is S. Shankar’s Indian 2. Despite the veteran actor’s committed performance, the sequel failed to impress several critics. It currently holds an IMDb rating of just 3.8/10, making it the most poorly rated film in his illustrious career. In stark contrast, the original Indian (1996) enjoys a stellar IMDb rating of 8.1/10.

Kamal Haasan’s High-Rated Films On IMDb

On the other hand, many Kamal Haasan films have earned widespread acclaim and impressive ratings on IMDb. Some of his highest-rated titles include Thevar Magan (8.7/10), Anbe Sivam (8.6/10), Mahanadhi (8.6/10), Kuruthipunal (8.5/10), Papanasam (8.4/10), and Vikram (8.3/10), to name a few.

About Thug Life

Directed by Mani Ratnam, the gangster action drama ostensibly follows the story of a dreaded gangster who adopts a young boy. But years later, when the gangster becomes the target of a near-fatal assassination attempt, he begins to suspect that his adopted son is behind it. The film features Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Trisha Krishnan, Nassar, Joju George, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf, among other cast members.

God of Masses Nandamuri Balakrishna reunites with the blockbuster director Boyapati Sreenu for their highly anticipated fourth collaboration, Akhanda 2: Thaandavam. This sequel to the hit film Akhanda promises to elevate the action and drama, blending intense sequences with spiritual undertones. Produced by Raam Achanta and Gopichand Achanta under the prestigious 14 Reels Plus Banner, the film is presented by M Tejeswini Nandamuri.

The makers have released the Teaser on the occasion of Balakrishna's Birthday and this is the Best Gift any Hero can get from his Team.

The most striking aspect of the teaser is Balakrishna’s sensational look — a powerful blend of ferocity and divinity that perfectly suits his character. Boyapati once again proves he understands Balakrishna better than anyone else, delivering a first look and teaser that truly elevates the star's aura.

The imagery of the Trishul with Nandi and the breathtaking, snow-covered Kailasam backdrop is mesmerizing, reflecting the meticulous research behind the character and the film's theme. Balakrishna's majestic walk adds a regal charm to the visuals.

The scenes where he hurls goons aside and the intense Trishul neck shot are simply mind-blowing. Action choreographers Ram-Lakshman have masterfully tapped into Balakrishna’s mass appeal. His dialogue delivery is as powerful as ever.

Thaman’s background score soars to divine heights, complementing the grandeur of Balakrishna's presence. Thaman is altogether in a different world when it comes to scoring music for Balakrishna.

The production values by 14 Reels Plus are top-notch, adding an impressive scale and richness to the overall presentation.

The Teaser is one material where it is Screaming the Passion and Commitment of the team in every frame.

Currently, the movie is being shot in the Grand Locales of Georgia, where a breathtaking sequence is being shot.

The makers promise that the film will do Thandavam in Theaters starting September 25th as Dussehra Special. The Divine aura of the movie is for sure to grip the audience across the country. This Teaser has done that magic already.

Aadi Pinnisetty plays the Antagonist, the evil opposite Akhanda. Samyuktha takes on the female lead role in the highly anticipated sequel, which is being made on a larger scale with a significantly bigger budget. The film boasts a talented team of experienced technicians, including music composer S Thaman, cinematographer C Ramprasad, editor Tammiraju, and art director AS Prakash.

Cast: God Of Masses Nandamuri Balakrishna, Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty

Technical Crew:

Writer, Director: Boyapati Sreenu
Producers: Raam Achanta, Gopi Achanta
Banner: 14 Reels Plus
Presents: M Tejeswini Nandamuri
Music: Thaman S
DOP: C Ramprasad, Santoshh D Detakae
Art: AS Prakash
Editor: Tammiraju
Fights: Ram-Lakshman
PRO: Yuvraaj
Marketing: First Show

 

https://youtu.be/BU90JJ8u2bA

 

 

 

 

Kamal to meet Karnataka Chamber before June 10 - No Release in Karnataka

 Thug Life will not release in Karnataka on June 5^th as Kamal Haasan will meet Karnataka Film Chamber office bearers on June 10^th. Earlier in the day, Kamal wrote a letter to KFCC, clarifying his remark, where he said that he did not mean to "diminish Kannada in any way" and only wanted to convey that everyone is from one family. However, since Kamal did not express an apology through the letter, the court has decided to put a pause on the Mani Ratnam directorial release, and a legal representative of the production banner Raaj Kamal Films International did not insist on it either until Kamal's meeting with KFCC next week.

  Kamal Haasan's production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, told the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday that the actor is keen on entering into a dialogue with Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to explain his recent controversial comment about Kannada, which had triggered calls to boycott his upcoming film Thug Life in Karnataka [Raajkamal Films International v. State of Karnataka].

Appearing before a Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, the counsel representing Raaj Kamal Films said that it would not be insisting on the release of Thug Life in Karnataka until then.

It was also argued that since Haasan has not said anything bad about the Kannada, there is nothing to apologise for.

However, earlier today, the Court criticised Haasan's comment, and added that he should ideally apologise to put the controversy to rest. Haasan's counsel, Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, was asked to take instructions on whether the actor would like to apologise.

When the matter was heard again this afternoon, Chinnappa replied that the actor's statements were not borne out of malice and that he had already written a letter to the KFCC's chairman earlier today to explain that he has high regard for the Kannada language.

Haasan has made a sincere statement on the matter to the KFCC and would like to enter into a dialogue with KFCC to explain his stance and put the issue to rest, Chinnappa told the Court.

He added that there was nothing in Haasan's statement for him to apologise for and that he should not be compelled to make such a statement.

"Not compulsion, that is the grace that he should have. Why beating around the bush? ... There are many ways of clarifying, but only one way of seeking apology," Justice Nagaprasanna remarked, in turn.

"It was his stand that he has the utmost respect for the language," Chinnappa replied.

"We will accept it, you have written so (in the letter to KFCC)," the judge noted.

"Then there is nothing more to be done," Chinnappa said.

The Court, however, questioned if this has become a matter of ego.

"It may be Kamal Haasan. But sentiments of masses of State has been undermined. You should understand the magnitude of the problem. Your statement can solve everything," Justice Nagaprasanna remarked.

Chinnappa disagreed, saying it is not a matter of ego. He went on to submit that even if the country is divided on linguistic lines, India remains one and that India's unity is more important than a film's release.

"Languages may be many, country is still one," Justice Nagaprasanna agreed.

However, the judge also observed that the entire controversy can be resolved if the actor apologises for any sentiment he may have hurt with this statement.

Chinnappa eventually said that he is not pressing for the petition's prayer of police protection for the film's release today. Rather, Chinnappa said that Haasan is looking to have a dialogue with KFCC on the issue first.

"He (Haasan) said, the art can wait, the film release also can wait... Lordship may adjourn by one week," Chinnappa urged.

Manjumel Boys unbeatable by Thudarum / Kamal moves High Court for Karnataka screening

Thudarum enjoyed a historic run at the Indian box office and even crossed the 100 crore net collection in the Malayalam version alone. However, it failed to beat the all-time blockbuster Manjummel Boys. For those who don’t know, Manjummel Boys amassed 130.25 crore net in the Malayalam version, becoming the film with the highest net collection in Malayalam.

Thudarum had an opportunity to surpass it, but it couldn’t get there. Currently, the Mohanlal starrer’s Malayalam collection stands at 118.06 crore net. From here, it won’t cover much of a distance, heading to close its run below or around 120 crores.

Crosses 237 crore gross at the worldwide box office

In India, the crime thriller has earned 143.31 crore gross so far. In the overseas market, it has earned 93.80 crore gross. Combining the Indian and overseas gross, the 37-day worldwide box office collection stands at a whopping 237.11 crore gross.

Worldwide collection breakdown:

• India net – 121.45 crores
• India gross – 143.31 crores
• Overseas gross – 93.80 crores
• Worldwide gross – 237.11 crores
• As Thudarum nears the end of its theatrical run and makes its streaming debut, it has also earned a coveted spot on Letterboxd’s Top 50 list. It’s a rare feat for an Indian film to find a place in the Auckland-based film platform’s global rankings. Thudarum is not the only Indian film to make it to the Letterboxd Top 50 list. The list includes two more Indian titles: the Marathi-language romantic drama Cactus Pears (Rank 41) and the widely acclaimed Tamil comedy drama Tourist Family (Rank 6).

   As Karnataka Distributor of Thug Life promised Film Chamber that Kamal on arriving in India from Dubai where the film promotion is going on would issue a statement that will pacify Kannada groups Kamal Haasan on Monday moved to the Karnataka High Court, seeking release of his upcoming movie Thug Life in the state on June 5.This came after the actor's upcoming film, Thug Life directed by Mani Ratnam, faced trouble in Karnataka after the actor's recent remark on the Kannada language sparked anger among local groups, including the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), which has banned the film's release until the actor issues a public apology.

Kamal Haasan appealed to the court to restrain the government, police department and Film Chamber of Commerce from stopping the screening of the movie and petitioned to provide proper security for the movie screening.Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Kamal Haasan to apologise, stating that failure to comply will result in his movie being banned from release in Karnataka.

As Karnataka Distributor of Thug Life promised Film Chamber that Kamal on arriving in India from Dubai where the film promotion is going on would issue a statement that will pacify Kannada groups Kamal Haasan on Monday moved to the Karnataka High Court, seeking release of his upcoming movie Thug Life in the state on June 5.This came after the actor's upcoming film, Thug Life directed by Mani Ratnam, faced trouble in Karnataka after the actor's recent remark on the Kannada language sparked anger among local groups, including the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), which has banned the film's release until the actor issues a public apology.

Kamal Haasan to move CCI on Karnataka BAN ?

 Will Kamal Hasan move the Competetive Comission of India CCI against the Kernataka Film Chamber banning Thug Life ? A similar ban was issued by Tamil Nadu exhibitors against Viswaroopam as Kamal was planning to release the film on DTH along with Theatres.

In 2013, Kamal Haasan's film Vishwaroopam was the subject of a complaint filed with the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The issue stemmed from the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association opposing the film's planned release on a DTH platform before theatrical release. This opposition was seen as potentially anti-competitive, as it could limit the choice of release methods for filmmakers. 

Elaboration:

• The Complaint:

Kamal Haasan's production company, Rajkamal Films International, filed a complaint with the CCI against the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association. 

• The Issue:

The association threatened not to screen Vishwaroopam if it was released on DTH before theatrical release. 

• CCI Investigation:

The CCI found a prima facie case of potential anti-competitive practices and referred it for investigation by its Director General. The DG was ordered to complete the investigation within 60 days. 

• Potential Impact:

The CCI noted that the association's decision, if implemented, could stifle innovation in film release methods and hurt both producers and consumers. 

• Final Outcome:

The case was eventually resolved through a compromise/settlement between the parties, with the parties filing the memorandum of compromise with the CCI. The CCI then had the opportunity to consider the compromise and make appropriate orders, which could include accepting it, modifying it, or rejecting it. 

Thug Life ticket bookings opened in India/Overseas: Except Karnataka

The film is getting released this Thursday in theatres, and the overseas advance bookings opened a few days back, and today all India advance bookings opened for the film. Even in Telugu, the movie’s advance bookings have opened.

But Karnataka is still waiting, as Thug Life Tickets/Bookings did not start there. As said above, the ongoing issue because of Kamal’s statement has affected the film. We need to see how this issue will resolve.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) clearly said that without an apology from Kamal, the film will not be screened in their state.

 

Mani slams Rs 1000 Cr film craze / Meenakshi Chowdhary with Chiyaan

 Mani Ratnam when asked about the Rs 1000 crore club films, he felt irritated and answered : “Which is more important—box office or quality films? Earlier, audiences focused on quality. Now, it’s all about business. I hope this shift doesn’t kill quality in the future. I can’t make films just for the box office.”. Kamal Haasan is a co- Producer of Thug Life and going by what we hear the investment in hard cash is by RKFI and Madras Talkies contribution is Mani Ratnam’s direction.

Now audience of today that made Bahubaali – KGF – Pushpa franchise into Rs 1000 cr club cannot be called to be focussed on business and not quality and we cannot say that Director’s of these film compromised on quality to get more footfalls.  None of these franchises can be said to have gone out of the way to reach out to audience in a crass way. These films struck a chord with all regions in India. Take the case of Mani Ratnam films and his last outing PS 2. It worked largely with Tamil movie goers and nothing beyond it.

At one time quality films meant National awards and Mani was never a contender for this award. The box office masala formula is very much inherent in his films. For the first time probably the marketing is vey aggressive with Thug Life. Thogh Kamal speaks volumes about Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography , trailor is talked about for two things- Kamal- Abhirami liplock and Kamal’s I am your Adam seductive line with Trisha . Is Trisha the mistress of Kamal and his adopted son STR is dating her  is the problem? Add to it the Sugar Baby song.

We have seen biggest box office openers fall on Monday and finally go out by next Friday. Public is enamoured by the the boasts of entering Rs 100 cr club in one Day. It may matter to the Actor’s fans and his ego. Bottom of Mani’s line is that – Look Don’t evaluate me with likes of people whose films are in Rs 1000 cr club .I simply have no idea on how to make it jell with all kinds of audience. I am happy with my niche audience .

While his response sounds idealistic, it also feels outdated. Does he really believe that only bad films make 1000 crores? Were Baahubali, Dangal, or RRR lacking in quality? Were Jawan or KGF poor films? . It was Rajamouli who inspired Mani to make Ponniyin Selvan into two parts. Mani Ratnam has publicly acknowledged Rajamouli as an inspiration, particularly for the two-part structure of "Ponniyin Selvan". He has stated that "Baahubali," directed by Rajamouli, paved the way for him to make "Ponniyin Selvan" in two parts, as it demonstrated the viability of a two-part film format. 

Meenakshi Chaudhary has been making headlines for being the frontrunner to play the female lead opposite Kollywood star Vikram in the latter’s 63rd film, tentatively titled Chiyaan63. As per the latest buzz, Meenakshi has finally signed on the dotted lines. However, an official announcement is awaited to confirm the news.

Chiyaan63 will be going on floors in a few weeks. This highly anticipated biggie will be directed by Mandela and Maaveeran fame Madonne Ashwin, while Arun Viswa is bankrolling the project. Stay tuned for further updates. The actress was part of blockbusters like Dulquer Salmaan’s Lucky Baskhar and Venkatesh’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam. She is currently working on Naga Chaitanya’s NC24 and Naveen Polishetty’s Anaganaga Oka Raju. made her Hindi film debut with the movie "Upstarts" in 2019. She is expected to make a larger Bollywood debut with Maddock Films under Dinesh Vijan. 

 

Samantha - Raj Age difference / Kamal most Generous co-Actor - Trisha/ Dhanush Kubera Highest OTT Price

 

Age difference between Samantha and Raj Nidimoru 

There is a lot of curiosity around Raj and Samantha's relationship. As we wait for the couple to formally announce their relationship, we look at their age gap. Samantha's birth date is public knowledge. She was born on April 28, 1987. As of 2025, she is 38 years old. As for Raj, according to reports, his date birth is August 4, 1979. The filmmaker is therefore 45 years old as of 2025. This makes the age gap between the two artists 7 years. 

Samantha‘s production debut Subham is mounted on a budget of 6 crore and it has recovered 59% of its entire budget. It still needs to earn 2.07 crore to successfully recover its entire budget and enter the profit making zone. However, the film is too far to be declared as a hit at the box office, since it needs a total collection of 12 crore, to claim the hit verdict.

“Kamal sir and Mani sir are [greats]. I always knew they wouldn’t ever waste [me] in a film, irrespective of the [character I] play in it. Being in the best of hands, [I was sure] Mani sir would fine-tune me into becoming the character. Kamal sir always makes sure that his co-actors have their space in the film. He is one of the most generous co-actors I have worked with,” Trisha  smiles.

 Deccan Chronicle mentioned that Prime Video has allegedly bought Dhanush's Kubera  the film’s digital rights for a whopping 50 crore. This makes it one of the most expensive OTT deals in the Telugu film industry.

Kuberaa has a powerful cast featuring Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, and Jim Sarbh. This combination of talent from multiple film industries has already given the film a hot buzz in cinephile circles.

The movie is being bankrolled with a whopping 120 crore (via Deccan Chronicle), one of the costliest films in Dhanush’s career. Moreover, fans also have high expectations from Rashmika Mandanna, who has already delivered massive hits like Animal, Pushpa 2, and Chhavva.

Director Sekhar Kammula is helming Kuberaa. It will be released in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, so audiences across India can enjoy it. With a strong team like that and a vast OTT deal, Kuberaa appears to be one of the year’s biggest films. Now, all eyes are on June 20 to see how this action-packed drama performs at the box office.

Gore unlimited is Thug Life / Atlee - Vijay sethupathi- Balaji details - Siruthai Siva in news/ AK next

Thug Life starring Kamal Haasan- STR and directed by Mani Rathinam has three hours of edited running time. Those in the know say that this film is the most violent film from Director Mani. The violence in the film will put Animal , Kill and Marcos much behind. The source said that the violence is on par with any Hollywood or Korean film but what makes it stand apart is that it has so many situations that make you uneasy and squirm in your seat. The question that ariises is that the core Mani Rathinam audience will lap it up or puke over it ?. Will have to wait till June 5th. One guy remarked that Thug Life can be described as trailor of stunt choreographers Anbu Arivu directorial venture with Kamal Haasan.

Ajith is all probability to give a green signal to Adhik Ravichandran whose Good Bad Ugly is to release. Main reason being that Adhik has a story that appeals to Ajith and that he has a comfort zone and to top it all his execution is perfect. The film started streaming on Netflix on 3rd March, and in its opening week [3rd March – 9th March], it saw a good viewership on Netflix. It clocks 3 million views and trends globally at the 7th position in non-English movies, and it is also the No. 1 movie in 5 countries and among the top 10 in 14 countries, which is a very good achievement.

If you thought Siruthai Siva after Kanguva is going to find it difficult tohet a hero, you are wrong. His next is with Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi. Before release of Hindi film Baby John, Atlee and Murad, announced that they are doing a Tamil film with Vijay Sethupathi. Atlee shared his enthusiasm for the project: “Yes, it’s a film with Vijay Sethupathi sir. It’s a fantastic story that Murad sir and I have been working on for the past two years. This is the next banger from Cine1 and A For Apple.” Director of the Atlee film is Direction: Balaji Tharanitharan (Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, Seethakaathi). Sethupathi is shedding 15 kgs for the role. Shoot next month.

Thug Life on Kamal's lucky month - Mani- Abhishek - Aishwarya film a PR stunt ?

 

The news that Abhishek and Aishwarya are coming together after a decade and that too in a Mani Ratnam film has evoked mixed emotions. Just two days back there was strong news that the couple had distanced from each other and that Aishwarya and her daughter are staying in another house. Abhishek is said to be dating Nimrat Kaur, Then comes a news that all these news is false and that Abhishek is not a person who cheats on his wife. Nimrat also dismissed uch news. This followed by Mani film , has given room for the angle that PR of Big B is at work. After Raavan's Hindi debacle, Mani got badly mauled by critics and Big B himself took to twitter and said bad editing made the film inconsistent. Mani shot back saying that he did not make movies for Bachchan's good reviews.

After that Aishwarya worked with Mani and openly called him a Guru. She also publicly demonstrated it  at public function by falling at Mani's feet. If the film news is true, then too it is not so electrifying as coming together of Abhi Aish is not something that audience is just dying for. Secondly read this reaction ; They fell in love while working under mani ratnam's movie . They married each other after finishing a mani ratnam' movie . They gave birth to a child after finishing raavan.

And now just when we are hearing their separation rumors mani ratnam the part time movie director and full time couple therapist of Aish - AB is back to the rescue

Another comment ; And Mani Ratnam is one of India's best movie makers..I know you are joking but he is not some couple's babysitter. Also Aish working with him despite the open hostility of Bachchans shows she has agency and always did, she is not some deprived artist,. She chooses who to work with and when.

another one : Manisaaar = Maniratnam , just a meme of how everyone calls him mani sir, even Gulzar ( who must be at least 20 years older than him) calls him ManiSaaaaar

As Aish is the prodigy child of Mani Saar, he'll make his ways to cast his son in law anyways. I hope its a romcom please this time, nomore rom-tragedy

Also they can still go ahead and divorce but act together if the script is nice.

Aish at-least had PS I & II. Unsure what was the last movie AB junior did. So they might do the film just for that reason. It is not like they have 10 films lined up and they can choose what films they want to do in future.

On Kamal birthday today Madras Talkies announced release date as June 5th. Movies such as Vikram, Kalki 2898 AD, Dasavatram, and Panchatantra were released in June and emerged as Blockbusters and cult classics. So yet another blockbuster.