Friday, June 6, 2025, witnessed a significant shift in the Indian box office landscape as two highly anticipated films, Kamal Haasan’s “Thug Life” and Akshay Kumar‘s “Housefull 5,” battled for audience attention. While “Housefull 5” enjoyed a robust opening, “Thug Life” experienced a sharp drop in collections on its second day, leading to a notable disparity in their Friday earnings.
‘Thug Life’ Stumbles on Day 2 with ₹7.5 Crore
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s much-hyped “Thug Life,” which opened to a decent ₹15.5 crore on Thursday, saw a substantial decline on its second day. The film, a Tamil-language gangster action drama, managed to collect approximately ₹7.5 crore (net) across all languages in India on Friday. This represents a steep 55% drop from its opening day figures, bringing its two-day total to around ₹23 crore.
The sharp fall has raised concerns among trade analysts, especially considering the film’s star-studded cast and the highly anticipated reunion of Haasan and Ratnam after 37 years. While the Tamil version showed some stability with an overall occupancy of 31.41% on Friday, its performance in non-Tamil speaking regions was notably weaker. The Hindi version, in particular, struggled to find an audience, recording a dismal 6.48% overall occupancy. The film’s non-release in Karnataka, following a controversial comment by Kamal Haasan, has also impacted its pan-India potential. Compared to Kamal Haasan’s previous successes like “Vikram” (₹60 crore in two days) and even “Indian 2” (₹44 crore in two days), “Thug Life” has a significant distance to cover to meet expectations.
‘Housefull 5’ Delivers a Blockbuster Opening with ₹23 Crore
In stark contrast, Akshay Kumar’s comedy entertainer “Housefull 5” made a flying start on its opening day, Friday, June 6, 2025. The fifth installment of the popular “Housefull” franchise amassed an impressive ₹23 crore (net) on its first day at the domestic box office. This strong opening marks a significant comeback for Akshay Kumar in the comedy genre and positions “Housefull 5” as the biggest opener in the franchise’s history, surpassing “Housefull 4″‘s ₹19.08 crore.
The film’s performance also places it as one of the highest opening day grossers for Akshay Kumar in recent times, even outperforming his earlier 2025 releases like “Sky Force” and “Kesari Chapter 2.” “Housefull 5” was released with a unique marketing strategy, offering two alternate endings (Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B), which generated considerable buzz. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film’s established franchise appeal, combined with a multi-starrer cast including Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and others, appears to have resonated strongly with the audience, particularly in the Hindi-speaking belt.
The Weekend Battle Ahead
As the weekend unfolds, the focus will be on whether “Thug Life” can recover from its initial dip and build momentum through positive word-of-mouth, especially in its core Tamil market. Meanwhile, “Housefull 5” will aim to capitalize on its strong opening and maintain its pace, solidifying its position as a major box office contender this month. The contrasting fortunes of these two big releases on Friday highlight the unpredictable nature of the box office and the varying dynamics at play for films across different languages and genres.