A day after the Supreme Court directed the state to release Kamal Haasan starrer, Thug Life, distributors from Karnataka are not willing to release it in the state. Here's why.
Why Karnataka distributors won't release Thug Life?
Mani Ratnam-directed Thug Life released worldwide on June 5, but it missed its theatrical release in Karnataka due to Kamal Haasan's controversial 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' remark. Despite the court's order, distributors explained why they won't release the film.
Distributor Aravind of VR Films (a firm that bought the distribution rights), told India Today that it has been two weeks since Thug Life released in theatres and there are three more films that are releasing this Friday, June 20. So, distributors won't get enough screens and in another couple of weeks, the film will release on OTT.
Aravind's business partner Venkatesh Kamalakar, also refused to screen Thug Life in Karnataka and called it 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 clarified.
Aravind also said that they are neither thinking about the threats issued by pro-Kannada activists nor the reviews. He said irrespective of the review, they won't get enough screens now. "Supreme Court has given an order, but we are not releasing the film as of now," he added.
Aravind also revealed that Kamal Haasan's production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, promised that they would refund the money. Venkatesh added, "The picture was not released because of the comments he made. So, he has to refund back the money in full amount."
However, sources informed the portal that the distributors are yet to receive the refund. "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," a source said.
