<p>Cinema lovers’ excitement was at its peak as, after 38 years, they got the opportunity to witness Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s work in <em>Thug Life</em>, a reunion after cult classic <em>Nayakan</em> (1987). </p><p>Ever since the announcement, the excitement rose with regular updates, teaser and trailers keeping the anticipation high among audiences.</p><p>With close to 50 interviews, more than a dozen events, 12 press conferences, visits across eight states, and trips to three countries, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam went all out to promote their film in every corner.</p><p>As the long-awaited day arrived, fans thronged theatres eager to watch <em>Thug Life.</em></p><p>Starting with an intense action scene, the film builds significant buzz in its opening 20 minutes. However, soon the movie falls flat due to ‘just another’ predictable story. At a time of fast-paced gripping thrillers and high-octane action dramas, the film moves at a slow pace, further testing the audience’s patience. </p><p>Trisha and Silambarasan’s performances shine bright as they bring some charm and relief to the audience. Sanya Malhotra steals the spotlight in the song <em>Jinguchaa</em>.</p><p>Though packed with talented actors like Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha, Abhirami and Sanya Malhotra, the film’s first half drags, and the second half goes downhill due to the tired, predictable betrayal and revenge drama, leaving audiences unimpressed.</p><p>Many feel that the movie is ‘worse’ than Shankar’s <em>Indian 2</em>, and fans are shocked by this unexpected ‘dud’ from Mani Ratnam. While AR Rahman swooned the audience with his soul-stirring music, fans felt let down as the <em>Muttha Mazhai</em> song was cut and other songs were rarely featured in theatres. </p><p>Cinema experts also feel that the movie is below average, and is not even 10% of <em>Nayakan</em>, which further upset the audience. They say that the business will also be affected due to the bad word-of-mouth from the audience. </p><p>Produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, R Mahendran, and Siva Ananth, <em>Thug Life</em> has an impressive cast of stellar performers. Kamal Haasan leads the film as Rangaraaya Sakthivel Naicker, alongside Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf, among others.</p><p>With Mani Ratnam at the helm and AR Rahman's music, <em>Thug Life</em> was released worldwide on June 5, 2025.</p>
<p>Cinema lovers’ excitement was at its peak as, after 38 years, they got the opportunity to witness Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s work in <em>Thug Life</em>, a reunion after cult classic <em>Nayakan</em> (1987). </p><p>Ever since the announcement, the excitement rose with regular updates, teaser and trailers keeping the anticipation high among audiences.</p><p>With close to 50 interviews, more than a dozen events, 12 press conferences, visits across eight states, and trips to three countries, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam went all out to promote their film in every corner.</p><p>As the long-awaited day arrived, fans thronged theatres eager to watch <em>Thug Life.</em></p><p>Starting with an intense action scene, the film builds significant buzz in its opening 20 minutes. However, soon the movie falls flat due to ‘just another’ predictable story. At a time of fast-paced gripping thrillers and high-octane action dramas, the film moves at a slow pace, further testing the audience’s patience. </p><p>Trisha and Silambarasan’s performances shine bright as they bring some charm and relief to the audience. Sanya Malhotra steals the spotlight in the song <em>Jinguchaa</em>.</p><p>Though packed with talented actors like Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha, Abhirami and Sanya Malhotra, the film’s first half drags, and the second half goes downhill due to the tired, predictable betrayal and revenge drama, leaving audiences unimpressed.</p><p>Many feel that the movie is ‘worse’ than Shankar’s <em>Indian 2</em>, and fans are shocked by this unexpected ‘dud’ from Mani Ratnam. While AR Rahman swooned the audience with his soul-stirring music, fans felt let down as the <em>Muttha Mazhai</em> song was cut and other songs were rarely featured in theatres. </p><p>Cinema experts also feel that the movie is below average, and is not even 10% of <em>Nayakan</em>, which further upset the audience. They say that the business will also be affected due to the bad word-of-mouth from the audience. </p><p>Produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, R Mahendran, and Siva Ananth, <em>Thug Life</em> has an impressive cast of stellar performers. Kamal Haasan leads the film as Rangaraaya Sakthivel Naicker, alongside Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf, among others.</p><p>With Mani Ratnam at the helm and AR Rahman's music, <em>Thug Life</em> was released worldwide on June 5, 2025.</p>