New Delhi: Actor and producer Kamal Haasan treated fans to a special surprise on his 70th birthday—unveiling the release date teaser for his next film, Thug Life.
Directed by Mani Ratnam, this much-anticipated action drama is set to hit theatres worldwide on 5 June next year.
Thug Life marks Haasan and Ratnam’s second collaboration after 37 years, following Nayakan (1987). The two have a pan-India appeal and their coming together has been called “iconic”, “unparalleled artistry”, and “legendary” by fans on social media.
Film critic Ramesh Bala has predicted that Thug Life will be a “blockbuster” and a “landmark film for Haasan after Vikram (2022).”
“It is top-tier action but in Ratnam-style,” he said, applauding the director for yet again making a visually appealing film.
“For someone who has been working for 40 years in the industry, he (Mani Ratnam) has yet again managed to create magic,” he added.
Another film critic Ashameera Aiyappan calls the collaboration alone “very exciting.”
According to her, “The duo is famous for breaking expectations. And, with Thug Life they will take the audience by surprise. It will be something new.”
Aiyappan notes that the teaser and the poster have subtle shots that hint at some of Haasan’s iconic avatars.
“For instance, the red poster features a man holding a child, it reminds you of Nayakan. There has been speculation of Nayakan 2 for a long time, who knows, Thug Life could have a connection or be a spinoff,” she said.
Aiyappan also pointed out that the scene in the teaser where Haasan pulls down his sunglasses is reminiscent of his film Kuruthipunal (1995).
Also read: Kamal Haasan’s birth was as dramatic as his films. ‘He was huge, pink & a bit scary’
Fresh and unique character
The teaser, launched in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, quickly went viral, with the Tamil version alone garnering over three million views in just five hours.
It showcases Haasan in two contrasting looks: a rugged, bearded warrior engaged in intense combat, and a younger, clean-shaven version of his character.
Haasan is joined by Silambarasan TR, who appears in the teaser while brandishing a blood-soaked weapon.
The cast also includes Trisha, Ali Fazal, Abhirami, Nasser, Joju George and Aishwarya Lekshmi.
Produced jointly by Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Ratnam’s Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies, the teaser calls it an “AR Rahman Musical”. Ravi K Chandran did the cinematography and Sreekar Prasad was in charge of editing.
In an interview with CNN-News 18, earlier this year, Ratnam opened up about the long gap between their collaborations, explaining, “When you have an actor as capable as Kamal, who has explored so much already, you need something substantial to offer him. It’s not about working together again for the sake of it. Hopefully, we can now bring a fresh and unique character to life in this project.”
Haasan was last seen on screen in July this year as Senapathy in Indian 2. He reprised his role from the 1996 film Indian. According to Sacnilk, the film grossed around Rs 148.83 crore. But critics had nothing good to say. Shubhra Gupta called it “outmoded and outdated.. three-house time suck”.
Haasan debuted as a child artist in 1960 with the film Kalathoor Kannamma. He has been in the industry for 64 years and has starred in nearly 220 films in the major Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)