Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan — yeah, those legends — are finally working together again after almost four decades. Last time they teamed up was for the classic Nayakan back in 1987. Now, after 37 long years, they’re coming back with a new film called Thug Life. It’s a gangster-action kind of story in Tamil, and honestly, fans have been buzzing ever since the news dropped.
They first teased the project back in November 2022, calling it “Kamal Haasan 234” (because yep, it’s his 234th film as the lead!). A year later, they revealed the actual name — Thug Life — and since then, people can’t stop talking about it. The movie’s all set to hit theatres worldwide on June 5, 2025.
A Long-Awaited Collaboration
The announcement of 'Thug Life' has generated significant excitement among fans and cinephiles, marking the reunion of two stalwarts of Indian cinema. The film was officially announced in November 2022 under the working title 'Kamal Haasan 234,' denoting Haasan's 234th film as a lead actor. The official title, 'Thug Life,' was unveiled a year later, further heightening anticipation for the project.​
Here is the quick glimpse on the teaser:
The cast is seriously stacked
This isn’t just a two-man show either. The cast is huge — and full of stars. You’ve got Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, and some big names from Hindi cinema too, like Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal. Oh, and this movie marks the Tamil debut of Ali Fazal and Sanya Malhotra, which is cool to see.
Also part of the crew are familiar faces like Joju George, Nassar, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Jisshu Sengupta, Rohit Saraf, and Vaiyapuri. It feels like they really wanted to bring the best people on board for this one.
And speaking of “the best” — A. R. Rahman is handling the music (of course he is), Ravi K. Chandran is on the camera, and A. Sreekar Prasad’s editing. Basically, the technical team is just as solid as the cast. You kinda expect nothing less from a Mani Ratnam film, right?
Where and when it all came together
Filming for Thug Life started early in 2024. They shot in all kinds of places — Chennai, Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, and even in North India and New Delhi. The main shoot wrapped up around September 2024, but they did squeeze in some extra song sequences later that year in November.
The movie is being produced by three big names in Tamil cinema — Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, and Red Giant Movies. So yeah, the people behind this project clearly aren’t messing around.
What people are hoping for
There’s no denying the hype. I mean, when Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan come together again after 37 years, it’s not just another movie — it feels like an event. And with a cast like this and Rahman on the music, expectations are through the roof.
Honestly, no one knows exactly what to expect from the story, but people are hoping for something gritty, bold, and emotional — something that sticks. If it’s even half as impactful as Nayakan, it could be one of the biggest Tamil films of 2025. Let’s see how it all plays out, but yeah… this one’s gonna be big.
