Theatres plan ‘no slot’ strategy to avoid screening ‘Thug Life’ in state

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has come up with a strategy to boycott the Kamal Haasan-starrer ‘Thug Life’.

The film, which is set to release in theatres worldwide on June 5, may not see a release in Karnataka.

Theatres will schedule other flicks on the day of the release, so that they can say there is no slot for ‘Thug Life’.  

This comes after Haasan’s “Kannada was born out of Tamil” comment at the film’s audio launch in Chennai last week. 

Pro-Kannada groups have started a protest against the actor and the film.

Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi wrote to KFCC, saying that the the actor should say sorry, failing which the film will be “banned” in the state. But, Haasan has reportedly refused to apologise. 

M Narasimhalu, president of KFCC, said that the film chamber would stand by pro-Kannada groups and the government’s protest against the film.

“This is not about the film industry, it’s about the sentiment of the people of Karnataka,” he told DH.

Talking about how the ban may attract the charge of being ‘undemocratic,’ he said, “We’re not telling the producers to not release the film here. All theatre owners have come forward to boycott the film. Now, if they screen a different film in their theatres and say there is no slot for Haasan’s movie, how is it undemocratic?”

On theatres facing possible loss due to the move, Narasimhalu said, “Distributors and exhibitors don’t depend on one film’s income for their livelihood. Also, they haven’t committed to the film yet,” he added. 

“This has happened before. We believe Kamal will apologise. Sathyaraj had to apologise for ‘Baahubali 2’ to be released here,” he said.

The film faced a similar situation after Sathyaraj’s (who played Kattappa) comments on the Cauvery water dispute. 

Odu Gowdar, president of Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation said, “We will not lose any money. Instead, they (film producers) will face losses. It is a sentimental issue,” he added. 

However, trade analyst Komal Nahata says both sides will lose a lot if the film is not released in state.

“The producers and theatre owners share the revenue generated. Considering that there is no other big release scheduled in the week, the film will likely do well, if released,” he said. 

“Karnataka is an important state, it does contribute to the film’s revenue. Unless one has seen the response to the film, it’s difficult to quantify what will be the loss,” Nahata said. 

Narendra Gupta, also a trade analyst, predicted a Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore loss at the box office. “It’s not a big number for the production house,” he said. 

“Kamal and Mani Ratnam have collaborated after 38 years, so people are definitely waiting to watch the flick. But I don’t think Karnataka has a big market for Tamil films. Since ‘Housefull 5’ is releasing on June 6 and Bengaluru has a big market for Hindi films, theatres will have a film to screen,” he said. 

According to box office tracker Sacnilk, Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan: 1’ collected Rs 27.16 crore gross in Karnataka at the end of third week, out of the Rs 298.65 crore gross collection across India. 

On the first day, the film collected Rs 4.1 crore in Karnataka and Rs 16.25 crore in Tamil Nadu, according to the website.  

‘Thug Life’ is scheduled for release in five languages, including Kannada.

Sparsha R K, who has dubbed for Trishaa in the Kannada version of the movie, says this boycott is disappointing as she is part of the film, but she is against Haasan’s comments. “For me, my language comes before my work,” she said. 

According to Gupta, the Kannada version of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan: 1’ collected Rs 19 crore at the box office. 

DH tried reaching out to PVR cinemas for a comment, but did not receive any response.  

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“This is not about the film industry it’s about the sentiment of the people of Karnataka

M Narasimhalu
President KFCC