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India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kamal Haasan's Thug Life won't release in Karnataka despite court order: Distributors
Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' will not release in Karnataka even after the Supreme Court's order criticising the film's ban in the state. Aravind, a Karnataka distributor, exclusively spoke to India Today, and explained why they won't go ahead with the release now. The ban was imposed on the Mani Ratnam-directorial over Haasan's 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' remark, which allegedly hurt the sentiments of Thursday, distributor Aravind of VR Films, who has secured the film for release in Karnataka, explained why he will not release 'Thug Life' in the said, "'Thug Life' will not be released in Karnataka. It's been two weeks since the film released in theatres and there are three more films that are releasing on Friday. So, we won't get enough screens and in another couple of weeks, it will release on OTT. That's the reason." Venkatesh Kamalakar, business partner of Aravind under VR Films (a firm that bought the distribution rights), reiterated that 'Thug Life' will not be screened. "The film will not be released in the state by me. It is an utter waste to release the film now after two weeks. We are completely out of it. The main business is in the first week. Now it is waste. It is not about law and order issue. The main business is gone," he however, said that Kamal Haasan's production house, "Raaj Kamal Films International, promised that they would refund us." Venkatesh also echoed Aravind's statement and said, "The picture was not released because of the comments he made. So, he has to refund back the money in full amount."Also, sources told India Today that the distributors haven't received any compensation until now. "The Karnataka distributors have approached Raj Kamal Films International (RKFI) for financial compensation and RKFI has agreed to repay, but the distributors have not received the amount so far. It's an amount running in crores," said a Aravind also added that they are not thinking about the threats issued by pro-Kannada activists nor the reviews. "No, not like that. It's not because of the reviews. Irrespective of the review, we won't get enough screens now. We are not thinking about the threats either. Supreme Court has given an order, but we are not releasing the film as of now." The Supreme Court strongly criticised Karnataka's ban on Thug Life, stating that mobs cannot dictate film screenings. They slammed the Karnataka High Court over suggestions that the actor apologise to resolve the after the Supreme Court criticised the delay in the film's release, the state clarified that the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce had merely issued a letter condemning Haasan's remarks and sought an apology, but no official ban was InMust Watch
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
'We will not release': Karnataka distributor defies Supreme Court order on ‘Thug Life'
Despite a Supreme Court directive clearing the way for the release of Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' in Karnataka, the film's local distributor has firmly stated he has no intention of screening it in the state, The New Indian Express reported. Venkatesh Kamalakar, who had acquired the distribution rights for Karnataka under the banner of VR Films, confirmed that he is opting out of the release altogether. '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,' Venkatesh told the publication. With the film already into its third week since release, he dismissed the possibility of a delayed rollout. '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 per cent of what we originally expected,' he said. (Also Read: 'Thug Life' row: Pro-Kannada outfit chief says Kamal Haasan 'should have apologised') Insiders also pointed to financial disputes between the production team and distributor as another reason for the impasse. According to the report, the producers have not repaid a significant advance, reportedly amounting to several crores, to the distributor, and the matter remains unresolved. While Venkatesh refrained from discussing specifics of the business deal, he made it clear that the producers cannot release the film in Karnataka through another channel without settling matters first. '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,' he said. Asked whether another distributor could intervene and take over the release, he responded unequivocally, '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.' (Also Read: Bengaluru beats hill stations Lonavala, Srinagar with unusually cool temperatures)
