Movie Name : Thug Life
Release Date : June 05, 2025
Cast : Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Abhirami, Joju George, Nasser, Mahesh Manjrekar etc.
Director : Mani Ratnam
Music Director : A.R. Rahman
Andhrawatch.com Rating : 2/5
Story:
Rangaraya Shakti Raju (Kamal Haasan) is a ruthless gangster who, together with his older brother Manickam (Nassar), rules a powerful criminal syndicate in Delhi. His kingdom is in continuous conflict with the opposing gang headed by Sadanand (Mahesh Manjrekar). In one bloody confrontation, Shakti Raju escapes by employing a young boy as a human shield. Guilty as he feels, he adopts the boy — Amar (Silambarasan TR) — and brings him up as his own son.
Years go by, and Amar becomes a central player in Shakti Raju’s empire. But following a sequence of dramatic betrayals and bloodshed, Shakti starts questioning Amar’s loyalty. Meanwhile, Amar discovers the truth that Shakti Raju is the killer of his father. Fueled by anger and betrayal, Amar pushes Shakti into a cliff and thinks he has killed him. He then fully assumes control of the empire.
Two years hence, Shakti Raju re-emerges from the dark. Revenge in his eyes and fire in his heart, he goes about reclaiming all he has lost. Does Shakti Raju recapture his throne? What happens to their shattered bond and the gory struggle for power? The rest of the story progresses with answers to these inflammable questions.
Review:
Kamal Haasan returns to the big screen with Thug Life, offering a committed and intense performance tailored perfectly to his character’s age and gravitas. His transformation through various emotional and physical stages, especially in flashback and action sequences, proves once again why he remains one of Indian cinema’s finest. His presence, both in terms of looks and screen charisma, stands out as one of the film’s biggest highlights.
Silambarasan TR has a crucial role and has a strong emotional connection with Kamal’s character, lending a poignant dimension to the film. Though his acting is subtle, it has a lasting impression, particularly where raw emotion is in the center.
Trisha gives a poised and elegant performance, infusing sincerity into her emotionally charged scenes. Abhirami makes an impact in her brief screen space, and Aishwarya Lekshmi makes an impression with her scorching and powerful presence in the latter half. Nassar performs his part convincingly, even if his character doesn’t deviate much from the typical. Supporting actors deliver efficient performances, but are mostly wasted.
Mani Ratnam, whose best films are known for their layered narrative and emotional depth, offers a movie that only reaches the surface, seldom delving any deeper. Though some action scenes and dramatic scenes resonate with conviction, emotional arcs mostly emerge as unbelivable or over-the-top scripted ones. Even though he constructs a good character arc for Kamal Haasan, overall treatment of the film doesn’t have the freshness and richness one would expect from a director as skilled as Ratnam.
The initial half of the film is well-paced, setting the tone nicely and suggesting even bigger things are in store. The second half, however, falters and takes a long time getting anywhere, with very little surprising. The story is predictable, and Mani Ratnam’s trademark unpredictability is missed.
Technically, while A.R. Rahman’s background score does complement the mood, the soundtrack overall does not linger in one’s memory. Yet, Ravi K. Chandran’s photography is sensational—every frame is a visual feast and cinematic. Nevertheless, the editing of the film could have been tighter since there are some sequences that feel overly long, thereby disrupting the pacing.
Production values are first-rate throughout, with the producers not holding back in making the film grand and glossy. But even with the sheen of Kamal Haasan’s stardom and Mani Ratnam’s old-master directorial wizardry, Thug Life is a disappointment. It’s a richly visual film with flashes of brilliance, but one that fails to provide a compellingly interesting story throughout.
Overall Thug Life had all the ingredients for a classic, but turns into a visually laden yet emotionally remote film. Though Kamal Haasan brings his own gold into the material with his performance, the storytelling fails to deliver the emotional or narrative wallop fans desired.