The iconic duo of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan won over audiences with the 1987 classic Nayakan, but their latest film Thug Life fails to live up to that standard. This gangster action drama falls prey to a muddled story and slow pacing despite Kamal Haasan’s charismatic performance and AR Rahman’s music. The film focuses on the complex relationship between Rangaraya Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) and his adopted son Amaran (Silambarasan), where betrayal and revenge drive the story. However, the lack of depth in the screenplay and some additional characters with no purpose makes the film lose its impact. The visuals and action scenes are superb under Mani Ratnam’s direction, but the hollowness of the story and the haste in the final part prevent Thug Life from becoming a memorable film.

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Thug Life (2025) – Movie Overview

Category	Details
Director	Mani Ratnam
Writers	Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan
Producers	Kamal Haasan, R. Mahendran, Mani Ratnam, Siva Ananth
Starring	Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Joju George
Music	A.R. Rahman
Cinematography	Ravi K. Chandran
Editing	A. Sreekar Prasad
Production Companies	Raaj Kamal Films, Madras Talkies, Red Giant Movies
Language	Tamil
Genre	Gangster Action Drama
Release Date	June 5, 2025
Runtime	163 minutes
Budget	₹200 crore (est.)
Box Office	₹24 crore (opening est.)

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Thug Life Story

In 1994, a newspaper vendor is killed during a gang war, leaving his two children—Amaran and Chandra—besides him. Mafia don Rangaraya Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) feels Amaran saved his life, so he takes him in and raises him with his elder brother Manickavel (Nasser).

Years later, in 2016, Manickavell’s daughter is betrayed by Sakthivel’s enemy Sadanand’s nephew Ranavijay Yadav (Rohit Saraf), causing her to commit suicide. In return, Sakthivel kills Ranavijay and goes to jail. Now Amaran (Silambarasan) becomes the new leader of the gang. After being released from jail, Sakthivel learns that his empire is now under the control of Amaran.

One day, there is an assassination attempt on Sakthivel, and he begins to suspect that Amaran is behind it. Meanwhile, Manickavel and other gang members trick Amaran into believing that Sakthivel killed his real father. Following this false plot, Amaran pushes Sakthivel off a cliff.

But Sakthivel doesn’t die—the Tibetan villagers rescue him. Two years later, he returns and vows to take revenge after learning the truth. In the final encounter, Amaran learns that Dr. Chandra (Aishwarya Lekshmi) is his own sister, but is shot by Deepak Yadav (Ali Fazal). Sakthivel tries to save Amaran, but he dies.

In the end, Sakthivel becomes a simple farmer while his wife Jeeva (Abhirami) and daughter Mangai (Sanjana Krishnamurthy) lead a peaceful life. The film ends with the same loving address “Dei Sakthivel!” that Jeeva uses for Sakthivel and now his grandson.

Movie review

My first FDFS (First Day First Show) was at 2:30 am, and what an experience it was! Thug Life brought together some of the best artists and technicians in the industry to deliver a cinematic experience that was completely immersive, intense and technically rich.

I deliberately went with low expectations, as the quality of cinema is declining globally these days (when I went to a cinema hall after almost 2 years, there were posters of movies like Jurassic World and Final Destination… even in the age of ChatGPT, people are far from original!). But Thug Life satisfied me and kept me completely captivated at times. The cinematography needs a mention—it was absolutely brilliant, every mood and every action was captured beautifully. The visuals were so mesmerizing that some of the old tropes in the story were overlooked. Anyway, I have always loved Ravi K. Chandran’s work.

As for the performances, Joju George stole the show with his raw and grounded acting, while Silambarasan (Simbu) brought his character to a whole new level—his stylish style and emotional depth. Abhirami also impressed with her poised and impactful screen presence. All of these put together a solid foundation for the film. However, this is not Kamal Haasan’s best acting or writing.

But, with such a great filmmaker’s team, I was expecting a more compelling climax. The story follows a fairly old formula, and the ending felt too safe—a title as strong as “Thug Life” could have used a little more bold and unpredictable twists. Something that would stay in the mind long after you leave the theatre.

Still, Thug Life makes for a good cinematic experience, especially on the big screen. It is a must-watch for the performances and the visuals. However, it completely falls short of being memorable.

From a cinephile’s perspective – Highlights of Thug Life

As a true cinephile, I have always admired Kamal sir’s acting range. In Nayakan, he played a 60-year-old at the age of 30, and this time in Thug Life, he played a 35-40-year-old at the age of 70—and that too with so much energy that the black-and-white intro of the film itself felt like a masterstroke. The performances of Kamal Haasan (Rangarayya Sakthivel Naicker) and Joju George (Pathrose) left me emotional.

The direction was so engaging that there was not a moment of boredom throughout the film. See, gangster stories are often the same, but what really matters is how the story is presented. Here, the presentation and the visuals made all the difference. Frankly, Mani Ratnam is unmatched in visual storytelling.

When it comes to visuals, every frame was a masterclass—be it the black-and-white opening of the film, the tragic suicide scene of Manikkam’s daughter, the single take shot of Sakthivel’s daughter’s wedding, the drone shots of SUVs in the snowy valleys of Nepal, or the stylish action sequences shot with the Phantom Flex camera—every scene was cinematic beauty.

And then A.R. Rahman’s music… what can I say about it? I don’t feel qualified to comment on it. But if I had to pick one moment, it would be the haunting vocal score depicting the parental bond, which deepened the emotion.

However, I felt that Silambarasan’s (Amaran) performance was a bit average. Also, when Sakthivel returns from Nepal, it would have been better if some visuals were shown instead of explaining the events of the past 2 years through dialogues.

Seeing Kamal Haasan and Abhirami Gopikumar together after Virumaandi (2004) brought a nostalgic feeling. Some bonds and memories never die, and this film captures that essence perfectly.

“Thug Life is not just a film—it’s a reminder that real cinema lies in the way the story is told, not just the story.”

Movie Public Review

Conclusion

Thug Life is a technically brilliant film that shines with its stunning visuals, strong performances and Mani Ratnam’s cinematic vision. Kamal Haasan’s screen presence and A.R. Rahman’s music make the film memorable. However, the story that follows the old gangster formula and the safe ending prevents the film from becoming great. It is a big screen delight but fails to leave a deep impact on the hearts of the audience. A one-time watch, but far from creating a legacy like Nayakan.