It is a much-anticipated film as Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam are teaming up again after 35 years.
Published Jan 24, 2024 | 2:49 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 24, 2024 | 2:49 PM
The shooting of Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life' begins. (MadrasTalkies_/X)
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam’s new movie Thug Life started rolling on Thursday, 24 January.
The makers released a video on social media announcing that the shooting of the film had begun.
Thug Life is a much-anticipated project as veteran actor Kamal Haasan and legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam are teaming up again after 35 years. In 1987, they both came together for their cult gangster drama Nayakan.
On the occasion of Kamal Hassan’s birthday in November 2023, the makers released the first-look poster and a title video of Thug Life.
The poster of Thug Life created a buzz of excitement and was widely circulated on social media.
In the title video released recently, the name of Kamal’s character was revealed as “Rangaraaya Sakthivel Naicker”.
Interestingly, Sakthivel Naicker was the name of Kamal Haasan’s character in Nayakan.
Indeed, there were speculations that KH234 would be titled Nayakan 2 or Nayakan Returns as Nayakan was based on Varadarajan Mudaliar, the underworld don in Mumbai.
இன்று முதல் படப்பிடிப்பு இனிதே ஆரம்பம். #ThuglifeshootBegins#Ulaganayagan #KamalHaasan #ThugLife@ikamalhaasan #ManiRatnam @arrahman #Mahendran @bagapath @actor_jayamravi @trishtrashers @dulQuer @abhiramiact #Nasser @C_I_N_E_M_A_A @Gautham_Karthik @AishuL_@MShenbagamoort3… pic.twitter.com/PHXJhgeyU2
— Raaj Kamal Films International (@RKFI) January 24, 2024
Thug Life boasts a galaxy of actors, including Malayalam actors Dulquer Salmaan and Aiswarya Lekshmi and Tamil actors Trisha and Jayam Ravi.
Dulquer Salmaan earlier worked with Mani Ratnam in OK Kanmani (2015). Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Jayam Ravi worked in Ponniyin Selvan 1 and Ponniyin Selvan 2 (2022 and 2023).
Malayalam actor Joju George and Tamil actor Gautham Karthik, too, joined the cast of Thug Life.
Gautham Karthik debuted with Mani Ratnam’s Kadal in 2013.
Joju George made his Tamil debut with Dhanush’s Jagame Thanthiram (2021). However, this is his first film with Kamal Hassan and Mani Ratnam.
Thug Life is jointly produced by Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, R Mahendran, and Siva Ananth under the banners of Raaj Kamal Films International and Madras Talkies. It will be presented by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies.
AR Rahman will compose the music. This is the first time the three legends are coming together for a project.
Rahman earlier worked with Kamal Hassan in Thenali (2000). He has been collaborating with Mani Ratnam for a long time.
