BENGALURU: The Supreme Court might have ordered the release of Thug Life in Karnataka but the distributor has said that he won't release the movie.
Venkatesh Kamalakar, who had acquired the Karnataka distribution rights under VR Films, confirmed that the film will not be released in the state — at least not by him.
"We are not planning to release, and we will not release. We had taken the distribution rights for Thug Life but couldn’t proceed earlier due to the issues already known," he said.
When asked if a delayed release was still on the cards, Venkatesh explained: "It's already been two weeks. The film is underperforming everywhere, collections are falling, and multiplexes are not enthusiastic. They're now offering only 30% of what we originally expected."
Financial complications are reportedly another reason for the standoff. A reliable source revealed that the producer has yet to repay a substantial advance — running into crores — to the distributor. The settlement remains pending.
While Venkatesh declined to comment on the business terms, he noted: "If the production house wants to release the film directly, they can go through another distributor. But they can only take that call after the settlement is made."
Asked if another distributor could step in, he responded firmly:
"No. Without our confirmation, they cannot distribute it. We haven’t received any intimation from the producers or multiplex chains about a Karnataka release. And to be honest, we’re not interested anymore."
Expectations quickly soured
Despite the initial buzz — with a dream team of Kamal Haasan, director Mani Ratnam, and music maestro AR Rahman — Venkatesh admitted that expectations quickly soured. "The hype was there, but everything got messed up."
Reflecting on the episode, the veteran distributor, who has spent over four decades in the business, said: "I've been in this trade for 40 years. If we haven’t learned anything by now, we never will. Sometimes you gain, sometimes you lose — it's part of the game. Situations like this are rare, but you have to face them."
As for what’s next, Venkatesh signed off with a smile: "There's still time. We’ll be distributing Dhanush’s Idli Kadai next."
What the Supreme Court said
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday come down heavily on the Karnataka government for stalling the release of the movie in the state. While directing that the film be screened, the Supreme Court noted that mobs and vigilante groups cannot be allowed to take over the streets.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan an Manmohan said the rule of law ought to be established and guns cannot be put to people's heads to stop them from watching the movie.
The judges also clarified that Karnataka High Court had no business to seek 'apology or regret' from Kamal Haasan for his remark.
The apex court had given the Karnataka government a day's time to file a response by June 18.
(With Online Desk inputs.)
