Kamal Haasan’s Mixed Box Office Run

In an epoch wherever cinema’s fortunes are made and breached by word-of-mouth successful specified hours, adjacent legends aren’t immune to the unforgiving quality of the container office. Tamil cinema’s titan, Kamal Haasan, has been riding a rollercoaster of theatrical fortunes implicit the past fewer years — with 1 colossal blockbuster and 2 highly anticipated misfires.

As his latest merchandise Thug Life completed its archetypal week astatine the container office, it’s worthy dissecting however the seasoned star’s caller films person performed, the numbers they’ve enactment up, and what these outcomes signify successful the ever-evolving scenery of Indian cinema.The Rise: Vikram’s Phenomenal TriumphIt each started with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2022 action-thriller Vikram — a gritty, genre-bending movie that not lone rejuvenated Kamal Haasan’s container bureau lasting but besides established a cinematic beingness that fans lapped up.This was Haasan’s archetypal movie aft a 4 twelvemonth gap- his past being Vishwaroopam which was besides embroiled successful controversy. Vikram opened to roaring applause and sustained its momentum acknowledgment to slick action, a pulsating inheritance people by Anirudh, and crisp performances. The movie was a monolithic blockbuster, grossing Rs 247.32 crore successful India and Rs 414.43 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Tamil movie of 2022 and 1 of the biggest hits of Haasan’s illustrious career.More than conscionable its earnings, Vikram redefined Kamal’s marque — from a cerebral, experimental icon to a mass-action leader who could propulsion successful the Gen Z and millennial assemblage without alienating his loyal older audience.

The Middling Follow-up: Indian 2’s Incomplete VictoryIn July 2024 came Indian 2, the long-delayed sequel to Haasan’s 1996 classic. Directed by Shankar, it brought backmost the quality of Senapathy, the vigilante state fighter, decades later. The movie saw the airy of day, riding connected the goodwill of Vikram and during it’s accumulation it was decided that the movie would beryllium spilt into 2 parts making it into a trilogy.The movie opened decently, with a Rs 25.6 crore connected time 1 successful India and ended it’s week 1 tally with Rs 70 crore postulation and beingness postulation of Rs 81.32 crore .

The collections began to dip station 1 and was ne'er capable to recover. The movie fell abbreviated of the towering expectations acceptable by its predecessor and Vikram. Critics called it overstuffed and sluggish successful parts, and audiences were lukewarm astir its rehashed themes.The movie failed to unrecorded up to the marque it carried — a occupation progressively faced by bequest sequels successful today’s fast-moving cinema culture.The Misfire: Thug Life’s Stuttered SprintIf Vikram was a triumph and Indian 2 a underperformer, Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, released connected June 5, 2025, was an undeniable letdown.Touted arsenic 1 of the biggest Tamil productions of the year, Thug Life saw Kamal Haasan squad up with Silambarasan (Simbu) successful a stylized gangster drama. The movie opened with a Rs 15.5 crore home nett connected Day 1, showing archetypal promise. But contempt prima powerfulness and precocious expectations, it stumbled astir instantly with time 8 collecting lone Rs 1.15 crore. .By the extremity of Day 8, the film’s India nett stood astatine Rs 43.37 crore. The buzz faded rapidly, with multiplexes reducing shows and azygous screens shifting absorption to newer releases.

Industry watchers judge a operation of mixed reviews, an incoherent screenplay, and deficiency of affectional link led to its aboriginal downfall.The Controversy: A Political Firestorm That Hurt the NumbersAn unexpected hurdle for Thug Life arrived successful the signifier of a connection controversy. During the film’s promotions, Kamal Haasan’s comments suggesting that Kannada is derived from Tamil ignited outrage successful Karnataka.

The backlash was swift and terrible with the film’s merchandise being blocked successful the state.This outgo Thug Life important gross successful 1 of South India’s fastest-growing movie markets. Trade analysts estimation that this boycott denied the movie astatine slightest Rs 6-8 crore implicit the week successful further home collection, perchance softening the stroke of its underperformance.A Glimpse Into Kalki 2898 AD — But Not a GamechangerIt’s intolerable to disregard the juggernaut that is Kalki 2898 AD, which minted Rs 646.31 crore gross crossed languages.

While Kamal Haasan features successful the movie arsenic a mysterious antagonist named Supreme Yaskin, it’s lone a little quality successful the archetypal part, meant to acceptable up a larger relation successful the sequel.Hence, portion Kalki’s occurrence adds to Haasan’s vocation commercially, successful a method sense, it cannot beryllium counted arsenic a triumph anchored by him.The Verdict: A Star successful TransitionKamal Haasan’s caller container bureau travel highlights the unpredictable quality of stardom successful modern Indian cinema.

While Vikram proved helium inactive has the powerfulness to present record-breaking blockbusters, Indian 2 and Thug Life underline the value of contented implicit nostalgia, nary substance however celebrated the star.External factors similar controversies and piracy added to Thug Life’s woes, but fundamentally, it’s a reminder that the assemblage contiguous demands well-paced, emotionally charged, and narratively choky films — not conscionable star-led spectacles.As Kamal preps for his expanded relation successful Kalki’s sequel and imaginable caller projects, his container bureau graph remains a fascinating lawsuit survey of however legends navigate the shifting sands of modern Indian cinema.