Come on yourself, not children. When you hear Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan, R Rahman and the names of STR in the same breath, your expectations shoot through the roof. And why not? These legends have previously distributed cinematic works like ‘Nayakan’, ‘Irruvar’, ‘Manamdhan’. But sadly, ‘thug life’ is not one of them.
‘Thug Life’ is an old singing of your run-of-the-Milollywood gangster saga, with a father-son duo, Kamal Haasan (as Shakti) and Silambarson (as Amarran), Delhi is in power in the world of crime.
Mani Ratnam -After feeling an eternity in waiting for the Kamal Haasan Reunion, we finally got the ‘thug life’, a film that promised a beauty gangster drama, but what we serve are loud action, all talks, and no emotional substance. An autism with business and box office as a matchmaker and a sad wedding between a megastar.
1. Where is the emotional depth?
Mani Ratnam, the person who gave us ‘Nayakan’, ‘Alpayotha’, and ‘Kannathil Mutithal’, once knew how deep emotional gravity was found. But ‘thug life’? It is a complete emotional vacuum. Yes, father-son has struggle, betrayal and revenge, but none of it resonates. Not a moment in your heart. Even with legends such as Kamal Haasan and STR, it looks like a checklist of dramatic trops rather than the film Mani Ratnam.
2. Pacing is a slogan
We understand that gangster epic needs time to breathe. But ‘Thug Life’ draws his feet. Views exist only to hit the runtime milestone. Action sequences appear in Shornorn, unbearablely long climax, another generic train battle, a car can be followed, which can be abandoned, all goes through pain in the age of ‘Pushpa’ and ‘KGF’. There is a lack of sharpness in editing. A strict cut can easily be removed with some bhogi set pieces that would have been better without the film.
3. Flat screenplay, flattery character
If you expect a signature Mani Ratnam Katha, you walk in the ‘thug life’, where the story, visual, and music are monotonously mixed, bracing for despair. Instead, what will you get is a flat, screen script. The characters are also hollow, robots. Kamal Haasan’s power and Amarran of STR do not show any emotional progress. Whatever is present is the best. You are not root for anyone because the script does not give you any reason.
4. Waste artists
Look at the artist: Jujo George, Nasar, Ali Fazal, Trisha, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lakshmi. A dream team on paper. In reality? Criminally reduced. Trisha’s entry is the only with the nature of Mani Ratnam, but her chemistry with lotus is best. Not only the dazzling age difference or retrograde tone, but because the characters are either confused or irrelevant. You really feel bad for the talent that went here to ruin.
5. Action for action
There is meaningful action, and then only action for it. ‘Thug Life’ later – hard. Most action scenes are purely beauty exercises, reminding you that it is a gangster film. The only savings grace? They are shooting beautifully. Think that Samurai meets Bruce Lee in a Himalayan scenario which goes away from the second half. But when there is no emotional bet, then all these are just… beautiful pictures.
What does this Mani Ratnam do in the film?
Let’s be fair. Some things work. Cinematography? Top. Color straps speak in mood; Greens and blues for betrayal and death, warm tones for cameradari and light relief. The camera works that in the second half takes the master shots to intimate close-ups, as the story becomes more psychologically introspective, especially for the power of Kamal Haasan.
A standout? The boat scene in Goa where Amarran (STR) shot his friend, while a stylistic moment that comes very late. One more? The STR declaration of killing a gang leader as Juzo George shoots a stressful, a shoot in a testosterone-thunder room. At that moment, 2-hour was given after the film, it should be introduced, not that brand setup we got in its beginning.
The music of AR Rahman also gives some very important relief. Some sections are beautifully woven in the story, such as Trisha’s ‘Sugar Baby’ or Sata ‘Anju Vana Puva’. But even Rahman cannot overcome a script that gives very little to play his actors. Remember how ‘Vikram’ used music to elevate action? ‘Thug Life’ could learn one or two things from Lokesh Kanagarj.
For Mani Ratnam fan, ‘Thug Life’ is a difficult watch. You keep waiting for a redemptive moment that changes the tide – it never comes. The story is hollow, pacing is tedious, the artists were ruined, and the climax is painful for something painful.
‘Thug Jeevan’ had the ability to have cinematic history. Instead, it is a technical sound, emotionally hollow latdown. I will be honest, it is going to take some time to overcome it.