Thug Life

When you name a film Thug Life, a name chosen by the masters of cinema and filmmakers, and that too using a culturally iconic term like Thug Life, it comes with expectations. The term represents how society mistreats or neglects certain groups. That neglect creates cycles of violence, trauma, and systemic failure that hurt everyone.

The term is often glorified or associated with pride and criminal life, but it carries a much deeper meaning. It is about survival. So naturally, you can imagine the expectations and feelings it invokes.

You need to know that I am an ardent Mani Ratnam fan. My cultural and artistic foundations were built on his films. I grew up in a world of films where he dominated. He was my icon. But revered icon or not, a spade has to be called a spade.

Thug Life felt like self-indulgent hero worship. The screenplay was extremely weak, with absolutely no plot or motivation. Sure, it was well-made in terms of production value, but that is all. Mani Ratnam is known for being a master storyteller who uses layered plot points to drive a narrative and evoke emotion. Here, it was almost appalling to see the same man rely so heavily on expositions, so many of them, even for useless points. It felt insulting to a point.

Kamal probably had his fill. Like I said, this felt like self-indulgence, coming hot off Indian 2. If anyone gave a truly memorable performance, it was the women in the film. All of them except Trisha...and that is no fault of hers.

The only two saving graces were the cinematography and A. R. Rahman's music. Rahman went god level with the score.

It makes me so uncomfortable to say this, but this has got to be Mani Ratnam's worst film ever in terms of storytelling and narrative. I need to go watch Nayakan, Aayutha Ezhuthu, and Kannathil Muthamittal again to recover.

Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan's much-awaited Thug Life tells the story of a gangster and the drama that unfolds around his empire, exploring themes of manipulation, greed, power politics, and betrayal. The film carries Mani Ratnam's signature frames, but the distinctive Mani touch in storytelling is noticeably absent. The first half delivers a good, though predictable, gangster narrative. However, it's the second half where the film begins to unravel, with a screenplay that feels scattered and incoherent. The execution starts to resemble Indian 2. The action sequences, which were grounded in the first half, suddenly become excessive and, to be honest, somewhat illogical. AR Rahman's music and score elevate the film, adding the right aura around Kamal Haasan's character. The cinematography is another technical standout.

Kamal Haasan shines as an actor, but the weak character writing in the second half dulls the overall impact of his performance. STR provides good support, but again, the second half fails to do justice to his role. Trisha is decent, though her scenes with Kamal feel awkward and out of place. The North Indian supporting cast is just passable, with mostly clichéd roles. Abhirami and Joju George stand out among the supporting actors, while Nassar's performance feels sub-par. Overall, the film derails in its second half and doesn't quite feel like a Mani Ratnam creation. The nuances are present, the sets are meticulously staged, but ultimately, it ends up as a below-average gangster drama.

OVERALL 2.15/10.

I read previous reviews and I have my own opinion.

Thug Life is a decent picture but it lacks rivalry and conflict of stars.

The role of Amaran should have been attributed to a known bollywood figure to attract the mass.

Kamal Hassan alone with Mani Ratnam and music A R Rahman are not enough to attract the mass public.

Look at Rajnikant , being a greater Superstar , he always ensured to bag Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar , Suneil Shetty or Nana Patekar to enter the Bollywood circuit.

It's true that the movie lack the essence to entertain, music is quite flat and screenplay not only original but also predictable.

Really it's a waste of talent and time for the producers and makers.

Best luck for your future project.

Thug Life (2025) - 40%

One Of The Worst Films Of 2025... I Still Don't Want To Believe That Legends Mani Ratnam & Kamal Haasan Who Have Given Us The Masterpiece Nayakan Collaborated For Such A Film... What Had Happened To Them While Writing & Filming This One... Didn't They Felt What They Are Making? Also What An Actress Like Trisha Was Doing In The Film Is Beyond My Understanding... She Had Been Completely Wasted & Same Goes For Ali Fazal... A. R. Rahman's Music Is Good, But The Background Score Many A Times Doesn't Match The Visuals On Screen... The Character Of Silambarasan & Haasan Aren't Even Developed Properly & As A Result, You Do Not Connect With Them At Any Juncture In The Film... The Few Plus Points Apart From Music Are Cinematography & Action Blocks... Overall, This One's A Huge Disappointment... Avoid At All Cost.

Thug Life isn't a good film, unfortunately. The basic idea and characters had real potential, but it feels like they never got developed into a solid story. Instead, a bunch of random, outdated elements were shoved in, making it feel more confused than compelling.

The screenplay is dull and lifeless-not a single scene leaves an impact, and none of the character arcs feel complete or satisfying. A few songs are genuinely good... but guess what? They got edited out. The background score works in a couple of places but mostly stays below average.

Casting? A total mismatch. It honestly feels like tier-two actors would've done a better job. Even Kamal Haasan and Trisha don't really shine here. The only one who makes an impression is Aishwarya Lekshmi-and she's barely in the film. Shimbu and Trisha at least look good; their makeup department deserves a pat on the back.

The cinematography and sets are a treat, though-they clearly got the best part of the budget. But when it comes to direction, it really doesn't feel like Maniratnam was behind the camera. Maybe an assistant was calling the shots this time? The "Sugar Baby" song also feels oddly put together, and the title line seems like it was slapped on during post-production.

Overall? Not worth your time. Maybe skip it and rewatch one of Maniratnam's classics instead.