Thug Life is a colossal failure at the box-office in all the languages. The film marks the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after decades. The film was rejected so badly that Thug Life struggled to complete its first weekend on a decent note. More than 80 percent of the money was lost for the Telugu version of Thug Life. Kamal Haasan’s Raajkamal Films International released the film on their own through their regular distributors and Kamal Haasan promised to refund the complete lost amount before 75 days.

But Kamal Haasan cleared all the dues in just 40 days for the Telugu distributors. Thug Life is a profitable film for the producers Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. They have closed big non-theatrical deals and recovered their entire budget through the deals. If the film ended up as a super hit in theatres, Thug Life would have been a huge profitable film for Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan. The film also featured Trisha and Simbu in other prominent roles.