With legends like Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, and AR Rahman at the helm, Thug Life had every reason to shine—but instead, it’s struggling
to fill the cinema houses to half of their capacity.
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s collaboration in Nayakan is still hailed as a cinematic landmark, so it was only natural for audiences
to be eager about their reunion in Thug Life. What they got instead was a lifeless, uninspired mess.
For many, this isn’t just a bad film—it’s an insult to the Mani Ratnam-Kamal Haasan legacy.
Mani Ratnam, known for his visual storytelling and emotional depth, failed to recreate his magic on this project. Many compared this film
with his previous project, Ponniyin Selvan, and noted how none of that marvel was reflected in this one.
The Hindi-speaking audiences walked out of theaters visibly angry, with some even calling it “cinematic torture.” While social media is
flooded with warnings to avoid this film at all costs.
The film’s cast also included Bollywood names like Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, and Sanya Malhotra, but just like the rest of the film,
their appearances too were underwhelming and poorly written. Even the promotions barely mentioned them, adding to the growing frustration of the Bollywood audience.
Another of the most criticized aspects of this film was the uncomfortable and unnecessary scenes between Kamal Haasan and Trisha.
Many viewers found them shameful and disgusting, especially considering their obvious age gap.
Even AR Rahman, the saving grace, failed to salvage the mood of the film. The background score was dull and helped very little to lift an
already flat screenplay.
The only silver lining? The film’s cinematography, but good frames aren’t enough to save an empty film.
Overall, Thug Life had all the ingredients for a masterpiece but lucked out on the execution. A film hyped to be the grand comeback of
legends will sadly just be a missed opportunity.
