Siva Ananth clarifies Mani Ratnam's statement on Thug Life as fake

Writer-lyricist-producer Siva Ananth, who has worked with director Mani Ratnam on many of his films including Kaatru Veliyidai, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Ponniyin Selvan: I and II and the latest Thug Life, has confirmed that the director's reported 'apology' for his latest film with Kamal Haasan as fake.

Earlier on Tuesday, a statement of the director's 'apology' had gone viral on social media where he had reportedly taken responsibility of the film's failure to resonate with the audience. However, the statement has now been confirmed as untrue.

Thug Life was released on June 5 amid much expectations and fanfare. However, with mixed reviews from audiences and critics, the film's revenue saw a drastic fall in its box office collection. The film's current India-wide revenue is at nerly Rs 48 crore, with worldwide collection at Rs 97.25 crore.

The film's extended ensemble cast comprises Silambarasan, Trisha, Joju George, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, Bagavathi Perumal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Tanikella Bharani, Vadivukkarasi, Chinni Jayanth, Vaiyapuri, Baburaj, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, Arjun Chidambaram, Chetan, and Rajashri Deshpande.

The technical crew of Thug Life features cinematographer Ravi K Chandran, music director AR Rahman, editor Sreekar Prasad and action directors Anbariv.

Meanwhile, Mani Ratnam has reportedly started scripting his next film which will feature Silambarasan in the lead once again. It is said to be a romantic film. Besides Thug Life, Silambarasan has worked with Mani Ratnam on Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, which too is a multistarrer. Reportedly, the next film will mark the actor's first collaboration with Mani Ratnam as a lead actor in a non-multistarrer. However, an official confirmation is yet to be confirmed by the makers.