No 8-Week Window; Thug Life OTT Sooner Than Expected

Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life was one of the most anticipated films of 2025. It was originally planned to arrive on OTT platforms eight weeks after its theatrical release.

At the trailer launch event in Mumbai last week, Kamal Haasan explained the reasoning behind the eight-week window.

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In Tamil cinema, most big films, including star-driven projects like Thalapathy Vijay’s GOAT, usually follow a four-week gap before heading to OTT.

Kamal Haasan called the decision a pragmatic one. He stated that it would benefit everyone involved with Thug Life.

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He also said he was glad the OTT partners understood and agreed with the idea. According to him, adopting this model could help make the industry healthier in the long run.

Thug Life was supposed to break that pattern and become one of the first major titles to stick to an eight-week release plan.

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However, things have changed drastically after the film’s release. Thug Life has turned out to be a complete disaster both critically and commercially. It is now being counted among the most heavily criticized films in recent memory, alongside Indian 2.

The OTT rights for Thug Life were sold to Netflix. During the film’s promotional campaign, Kamal Haasan clearly stated that the film would not stream online until eight weeks after its theatrical debut.

But now, due to its poor performance in theatres, trade experts believe the OTT release may be preponed. There is speculation that the film might start streaming after just four weeks instead of eight.

This would not be the first time a film has altered its OTT window. Kanguva was also planned for an eight-week gap. But after failing at the box office, it was released on Amazon Prime Video after just four weeks.

Given the way Thug Life has performed, many in the industry expect a similar shift. However, there has been no official announcement from Netflix or the film’s team.

For now, the OTT release timeline remains unconfirmed.