Ashok Selvan, Trisha, and Joju George, among others, were some of the cast members of Thug Life, who spoke about working with Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan and A R Rahman, at the first single launch event which took place in Chennai on Friday.
Ashok Selvan established himself as a Kamal Haasan fanboy and repeatedly stressed how big an opportunity this film was to him. He said: "I didn’t take up this film with a big reason in mind—it was simply a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to work with Mani sir, Kamal sir, and Simbu. I grew up watching their films, and being part of this project felt surreal. I’m incredibly grateful to Mani Sir for trusting me with this opportunity. If you’ve seen even one of my interviews, you’d know how big a fan I am of Kamal sir. The entire shoot felt like a dream, and I’m already asking Mani sir to give me another film just so I can relive this experience. Getting the chance to observe my mentors and seniors up close was unbelievable. I’m also a huge fan of Rahman sir. I’ve admired his songs for as long as I can remember, and now I feel incredibly fortunate to be featured in one of his compositions. This film is a huge opportunity for me, and I truly hope it works out well.”
The actor, further had a special anecdote to share about Silambarasan, who plays the lead alongside Kamal Haasan in the film. “I still remember being in school when they were shooting Vallavan. Simbu sir arrived in his Ford car, and I was just another face in the crowd watching in awe. And when Oh My Kadavule released, I hadn’t even met him—yet he called me, and we had a one-hour conversation where he broke down the film in detail. That meant the world to me. I’m deeply thankful and really hope to collaborate with him on many more projects in the future."
Trisha, who is reuniting with Silambarasan after Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, with Kamal Haasan after Thoonga Vanam, and with Mani Ratnam after Ponniyin Selvan II, said, “Who wouldn’t want to be part of a film like this? I feel truly honoured and privileged to be involved. Ever since Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, audiences have been asking for a Simbu-Trisha reunion—and now, it’s finally happening. There’s a certain magic we’ve created with this film, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it."
Joju George, spoke highly of both Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, saying, “Like so many others, it has always been my dream to work with Kamal Haasan sir. Just sharing a stage with such legends feels like a blessing.”
The extended cast of Thug Life comprises Trisha, Silambarasan Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Abhirami, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Tanikella Bharani, Vadivukkarasi, Chinni Jayanth, Vaiyapuri, Bagavathi Perumal, Baburaj, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, Arjun Chidambaram, Chetan, and Rajashri Deshpande.
Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and editor Sreekar Prasad are also a part of Thug Life. The film marks Rahman’s 19th film with Mani Ratnam, and has previously composed music for Kamal Haasan’s Indian and Thenali. Udhayanidhi's Red Giant Movies, Kamal Haasan's Raaj Kamal Film International, and Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies are co-producing the upcoming film.
Thug Life, which marks Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan's reunion after 36 years, since their hit outing, Nayakan, is all set to hit theatres on June 5. The audio launch of the film is slated to take place on May 16.
