19 April,2025 08:18 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The team of Thug Life
Tamil cinema legends Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam are reuniting after a staggering 37 years, making it quite iconic that their comeback project is titled Thug Life. The team recently held a grand event in Chennai to launch the film's first song, Jinguchaa. The event was graced by Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan, Trisha, and Silambarasan. During the event, Kamal Haasan opened up about why it took so long for him to reunite with Mani Ratnam.
Kamal and Mani last worked together on the classic Nayakan. Reflecting on the long gap, Kamal said, "Nothing has changed between Mani Ratnam and me even after all these years. It's our fault for waiting this long to come together. We were in search of better scripts, and it took this long for us to collaborate. We are now working together again because of you, the audience, who wanted this reunion. We should have done it earlier. I'm sorry."
He went on to praise Mani Ratnam by comparing him to his own mentor, the legendary director K. Balachander. "I am reminded of K. Balachander when I see Mani Ratnam's working style. He knows what a huge compliment this is. This is our mutual respect. I even have a nickname for him - âAnju Ara' Mani Ratnam (meaning 5:30 AM Mani Ratnam), because of how early he was on set every single day."
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Director Mani Ratnam also sang in praise of his lead actor Kamal Haasan and spoke about his unmatched versatility and dedication. "He has this unique talent of balancing mainstream cinema with boundary-breaking storytelling," Ratnam said.
He further added, "When Kamal sir is part of a film, 50% of the director's burden is lifted. He not only perfects his role but elevates everyone around him - actors and crew alike. It makes everything feel incredibly real."
It is worth noting that Mani Ratnam's production house, Madras Talkies, described Thug Life as "an epic tale of power, rebellion, and triumph."
The film features music by A.R. Rahman and cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran. Edited by Ratnam's long-time collaborator Sreekar Prasad and featuring stunts choreographed by Anbariv, Thug Life is scheduled to hit screens on June 5.
