"Thug Life", superstar Kamal Haasan's 234th movie, released in cinema halls across the country on Thursday and with much fanfare in his home state Tamil Nadu where fans queued up outside several theatres to catch the first show.
The Tamil movie, which reunites the 70-year-old actor with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 1987's "Nayakan", could not be released in Karnataka after Haasan's comments about Kannada language sparked a major controversy. It was also released in Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam.
In Tamil Nadu, the film's shows started at 9 am. Outside Chennai's Rohini Theatre, the excitement was visible as crowds gathered for the first day, first show of the film.
The venue was adorned with posters and cutouts of the movie and its stars, including Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, and Trisha.
Many fans burst firecrackers, cut cakes and danced in the theatre premises. Some hysterical fans popped open beer bottles and poured the beverage on giant cutouts of their beloved stars.
In the wake of a stampede in Bengaluru during IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru's celebrations on Wednesday, authorities deployed significant police presence at key cinema halls across Tamil Nadu.
The beefed up security arrangement played spoilsport to some of these celebrations.
"We were excited for the movie. We had planned to celebrate in a grand way but the government has not given us permission for it considering law and order issues. Hence we are a little disappointed," said one of the fans.
Another fan said, "There is too much expectation from the movie. We have planned many things but the permission was not granted. Despite that we are excited and celebrating. The movie is definitely coming out well." Celebratory scenes also played out in Coimbatore where fans welcomed the arrival of Haasan's new movie in style. Musical instruments, including the Sendai Melam, were played to uplift the crowd’s spirits. The sound of drums echoed outside Archana Theatre in the flower market area.
"I have always been a great fan of Kamal Haasan. His film releases are like festivals for us. We are sure about the success of the film," said a cinephile who came to watch the movie.
The movie was also set to premiere in Karnataka but its release in the state was cancelled after Haasan's controversial "Kannada was born out of Tamil" remark.
Several fans from Bengaluru city and suburbs went to Hosur, a distance of about 42 km, to watch the movie, according to many social media posts.
Industry tracker Sacnilk said the movie has earned Rs 6.16 crore in advance bookings on Wednesday. Over 3.5 lakh tickets were sold across 11,357 shows.
Gautam Dutta, CEO- Revenue & Operations, PVR INOX Ltd, said the film has been received well by the audiences, especially in Tamil Nadu.
“Tamil Nadu is showing excellent numbers with 60-65 per cent occupancy already. Other South regions are also performing strongly. We’re also seeing a steady rise in the North, driven by positive word of mouth.
"The film is generating strong buzz, and we expect high footfalls throughout the opening weekend. Thug Life is clearly connecting with audiences, and we’re excited to see how it continues to grow," Dutta said in a statement.
The reviews from both fans and the critics, however, have been polarising.
One fan, who watched the movie in Mumbai, found it to be "amazing".
"The direction is so good and the ending is good. Kamal Hassan is an amazing actor... I got to watch a good film after a long time," the fan said.
For another fan in Mumbai, the movie didn't live up to the expectations.
"There is not much in the film, just a lot of fighting and enmity with each other. This kind of movie cannot run. Kamal Hassan's acting is very good. He is the hero, his acting is best. And the acting of the one along with him is also good," the fan added.
"Thug Life" is jointly produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies, Haasan's Raaj Kamal Films International and Ratnam’s Madras Talkies.
