Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam Unite for 'Thug Life' - A New Cinematic Journey
A New Collaboration in Cinema
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, both prominent figures in the film industry, have ventured beyond Tamil cinema throughout their careers, with Haasan having a longer tenure. Their latest project, Thug Life, is being promoted in Mumbai, marking a significant collaboration.
Set to hit theaters on June 5, the crime drama will be available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada. The trailer introduces Haasan as Rangaraaya Sakthivel, who takes in an orphan named Amaran, portrayed by Silambarasan.
As the narrative unfolds, it appears that Amaran may turn against Rangaraaya, leading to conflicts with other characters played by Nasser, Joju George, and Mahesh Manjrekar. The film also features Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, and Sanya Malhotra, and will be released in both standard and 2D IMAX formats.
During a press conference in Mumbai, Haasan emphasized that the film encompasses more than just action, highlighting its emotional depth. Ratnam noted that the title was one of several proposed by Haasan.
“Thug Life is fundamentally an emotional narrative set against a backdrop of crime,” Ratnam explained. “While the title suggests action, it must resonate with the right emotional tone. Influences from masters like Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa show that action can indeed be lyrical.”
This film marks the first collaboration between Haasan and Ratnam since Nayakan in 1987. Haasan previously contributed his voice to the opening credits of Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan in 2002 and 2023.
Related by marriage—Ratnam’s wife, the acclaimed actress Suhasini, is Haasan’s niece—the two have also co-written the screenplay for Thug Life. Ratnam mentioned that the film's scale was crafted to meet the story's requirements, aided by a talented cast and crew.
Ratnam has reunited with his regular collaborators, including cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and editor Sreekar Prasad. The soundtrack, composed by AR Rahman, features tracks like Jinguchaa and Sugar Baby.
At the Mumbai event, Rahman, Abhirami, Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, and Ashok Selvan were also in attendance. Abhirami praised the exceptional talent of Haasan, Ratnam, and Rahman, referring to them as a “holy trifecta.”
“I would give up anything to work with them, even for a day,” Abhirami expressed. “It’s a dream come true to even converse with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam,” added Selvan.
Silambarasan, who previously worked with Ratnam in Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, remarked on the inspiring energy generated by the Haasan-Ratnam collaboration.
“I felt nervous sharing the screen with Kamal sir for the first time, but Mani sir made me feel at ease,” Silambarasan shared. “The character of Amaran carries a unique pain that was challenging to portray.”
Trisha Krishnan mentioned that Ratnam encouraged her to “unlearn everything” from her role in Ponniyin Selvan. “Having grown up watching Nayakan, I was eager to see how they operated on set,” Krishnan noted. “Kamal sir and Mani sir were perfectly in sync, and we had to focus on our work instead of just watching them.”
Haasan recalled that he and Ratnam were acquainted socially even before their familial ties. “We lived in the same neighborhood, and I was unaware of his film background at the time,” Haasan reminisced. “We often discussed cinema.”
Ratnam remembered observing Haasan rehearse a pivotal scene from Balu Mahendra’s Moondram Pirai. “Kamal was deeply involved in Nayakan, contributing significantly to its development,” Ratnam remarked.
With high expectations for Thug Life, co-produced by Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, and Udayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies, Haasan stated, “I’m not feeling the pressure of box office success; our goal is to at least break even.”
Ratnam humorously referred to Thug Life as a “Zen-Z film” when asked if it was aimed at Gen Z audiences.