Thug Life Movie Review: Nayakan Duo Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan Fail to Deliver

The renunion of Nayakan duo Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan has created a lot of buzz and hype. The film's ensemble cast and promising promos have heightened the expectations surrounding the film. However, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan's recent films have failed to meet the expectations. Will the duo overturn the fortunes with Thug Life? Let's check it out.

Story in a Nutshell

Thug Life follows Rangaraya Shaktiraju (played by Kamal Haasan), a once-feared gangster. The film explores why he raises Amar (Simbu), the misunderstandings between them, and the fallout that changes Shakti’s life forever. The rest of the movie deals with how things spiral out of control.

Performances

Kamal Haasan shines in the beginning — his screen presence is magnetic, and his acting, as always, is effortless. But as the story progresses, his role becomes oddly weak, and even Kamal can’t save it from fading.

Simbu plays Amar, who is supposed to be just as important as Kamal’s character. But he barely makes an impression. He looks good, but there isn’t a single scene that stands out.

Trisha is hardly there. Even her much-talked-about “Sugar Baby” song is forgettable and adds nothing.

Direction & Writing

Director Mani Ratnam tries to revisit the gangster genre with Thug Life. On the surface, it’s a familiar setup — gangs, betrayal, and revenge. But instead of fresh twists or emotional depth, we get a flat, uninspired film.

The first half introduces us to Shakti, his relationships with Amar, his brother (Nassar), Trisha, and others. While the cast is strong, the writing feels hollow. The conflicts — especially between Shakti and Amar — lack emotional weight. Relationships are touched upon but never developed, making the drama feel slow and stretched.

Only towards the interval does the film pick up slightly, thanks to some stunning visuals.

The second half begins after a two-year leap. Shakti returns stronger, trained in martial arts. But instead of a powerful comeback, we get a dull revenge plot. Even action scenes like the train station fight feel half-baked. His showdowns with other characters, including Trisha, his wife, and brother Nassar, fail to connect.

By the time Simbu’s arc comes to its big moment, there’s no emotional payoff. The climax is underwhelming and adds to the disappointment.

In short, the film ends up being just another rehashed revenge story — despite its star-studded cast. And even Kamal’s magic wears off in the second half.

Supporting Cast

The film is packed with familiar faces — Nassar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, and Ashok Selvan. But none of them are given enough to do. Their characters are poorly written, and their presence barely registers.

Music & Technical Aspects

A.R. Rahman scores the music, but it’s a mixed bag. The song “Achcha Vanne Poovvaa” plays multiple times and works well. Unfortunately, the rest of the soundtrack is forgettable.

The background score is one of the film’s biggest letdowns. In a revenge-driven film like this, you expect high-impact music — but Rahman’s minimalistic approach feels empty, taking the punch out of many scenes.

Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is the highlight of the film. The visuals are rich and grand, giving the movie a big-budget feel.

Editing by Sreekar Prasad is disappointing. The first half drags like an entire movie, and the second half is even more tiring.

Production values from Raaj Kamal Films and Madras Talkies are impressive. The sets and visuals look top-notch — it’s just the story that doesn’t hold up.

Positives

Kamal Haasan (in the early parts)

Rich visuals and production design

Negatives

Weak and poorly written characters

No emotional depth or strong action

Dragging runtime

Disappointing background score

Final Verdict:
Thug Life had everything going for it on paper — a legendary director, a star cast, and a big production. But in execution, it’s a bland revenge story that fails to leave an impact. Even Kamal Haasan can’t save this lifeless drama. One of the most disappointing outings from the Nayakan duo.