Quick answer: Thugs of Hindostan is a 2018 Yash Raj Films period adventure directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the first film to pair Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan as leads, with Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh. It released on 8 November 2018, during Diwali week, and set a record opening day for a Hindi film of ₹52.25 crore nett, but poor reviews pulled it down: Bollywood Hungama puts its worldwide gross at about ₹322.07 crore against a reported budget of ₹200 to ₹300 crore.
About this page
This article was first written in late 2016, soon after the film was announced and before filming began, with its cast, story and the casting debate over the lead actress. The film has since been released, so we keep the page as a record of what was reported, correct what turned out to be wrong, and add what happened. Details were checked again in October 2026.
Thugs of Hindostan: key facts
- Type of film: Hindi period action-adventure
- Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya, who also directed Dhoom 3 (2013)
- Producer: Aditya Chopra, for Yash Raj Films
- Released: 8 November 2018, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, including 3D, 4DX and IMAX formats; a shorter edition released in China on 28 December 2018
- Setting: 1795 to 1806, during the East India Company’s rule
Cast of Thugs of Hindostan
- Amitabh Bachchan as Khudabaksh Jhaazi, known as Azaad, leader of the thugs
- Aamir Khan as Firangi Mallah, a small-time thug from Awadh
- Fatima Sana Shaikh as Zafira Baig, a warrior-archer
- Katrina Kaif as Suraiyya, a dancer (an extended cameo)
- Lloyd Owen as John Clive, an East India Company officer, with Ronit Roy and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub
The lead actress: neither Vaani Kapoor nor Alia Bhatt
When this page was first written, the female lead had not been chosen. It reported that producer Aditya Chopra wanted Vaani Kapoor, who had just starred in his film Befikre, while Aamir Khan wanted Alia Bhatt. Neither was cast. Shraddha Kapoor did a costume look test in February 2017, but in May 2017 Fatima Sana Shaikh, who had played the adult Geeta Phogat opposite Aamir Khan in Dangal, was confirmed instead, and Katrina Kaif joined in an extended cameo.
The story, and what it is not based on
The original article said the film was about thugs robbing travellers in the 1830s and was based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug. That was a widely reported early claim, but it was wrong. Director Vijay Krishna Acharya said the film is not based on the novel and tells a fictional story drawing on historical events; he put the confusion down to the word “thug” appearing in both titles. The film opens in 1795, when the East India Company seizes a small kingdom and its general, Khudabaksh, escapes with the king’s young daughter Zafira. By 1806, Khudabaksh, now called Azaad, leads a band of thugs fighting the Company at sea, and Firangi, a con man who sells information to the British, is sent to track them down and wins his way into their group.
From “Thug” to Thugs of Hindostan
Yash Raj Films announced the project in September 2016 with Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. As this page reported, it was first titled Thug, and Hrithik Roshan had initially been approached for the lead role; he suggested changes to the script. In November 2016 Aamir Khan asked for the script to be reworked, particularly the female lead’s role, and put the project on hold while he finished Dangal. Filming finally began in Malta on 5 June 2017, and the film kept the Diwali 2018 release that had been planned from the start.
The teaser trailer embedded in the original version of this page is no longer available on YouTube. The film’s official Hindi trailer, released in 2018, became the first Indian trailer to cross 100 million views on YouTube.
How Thugs of Hindostan performed
The film had the widest release of any Hindi film at the time, on about 7,000 screens worldwide according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Its opening day in India, ₹52.25 crore nett, was the highest ever for a Hindi film, beating Happy New Year and Baahubali 2‘s Hindi version. Reviews were largely negative, and takings fell sharply after the first weekend.
According to Bollywood Hungama, the film earned about ₹123 crore nett in India over its opening weekend and finished with ₹151.19 crore nett (₹193.8 crore gross) in India and a worldwide gross of about ₹322.07 crore. Given a production budget reported at between ₹200 crore and ₹300 crore, one of the highest for a Hindi film, it was widely seen as a commercial disappointment, and theatre owners sought refunds from the distributor.
For the lead actors’ best-known lines from other films, see our collections of Aamir Khan dialogues in Hindi and Amitabh Bachchan dialogues. Other film-news pages from the same period include Aankhen 2, Golmaal 4 and Judwaa 2.
Frequently asked questions
When did Thugs of Hindostan release?
It released on 8 November 2018, during Diwali week, and in China on 28 December 2018.
Is Thugs of Hindostan based on Confessions of a Thug?
No. Despite early reports, the director said it is not based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s novel; it is a fictional story drawing on historical events.
Who is the heroine of Thugs of Hindostan?
Fatima Sana Shaikh plays Zafira, the main female role, and Katrina Kaif appears in an extended cameo as Suraiyya.
Was Thugs of Hindostan a hit?
No. It had a record opening day, but negative reviews hurt it, and its worldwide gross of about ₹322 crore (Bollywood Hungama) fell short of what its reported budget required.
Credits, dates and box office checked in October 2026 against the film’s published credits and Bollywood Hungama’s box office page. Box office and budget figures are attributed because sources differ.
