Mani Ratnam’s much-hyped film Thug Life, starring an ensemble cast including Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan (Simbu), Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and others, has landed in hot water following its theatrical release. Far from meeting expectations, the film has been met with harsh criticism from fans and critics alike, many calling it “a very bad movie” and “a career low” for the acclaimed filmmaker.
Disappointed fans took to social media, expressing disbelief that a director of Mani Ratnam’s stature could deliver what they called a “disjointed and dull” cinematic experience.
However, what has truly ignited controversy is the reported response from the film’s producer, veteran actor Kamal Haasan. In an attempt to counter the negative reception, sources suggest that Raj Kamal Films International (RKFI), Kamal Haasan’s production house, allegedly paid Instagram influencers and social media personalities to promote Thug Life with positive reviews.
According to social media chatter and self-described fans of Kamal Haasan, a coordinated pattern of damage control began surfacing shortly after the film’s negative reviews flooded online platforms. Instagram reels and posts began appearing from influencers and couple vloggers—many of whom had never previously commented on films—suddenly praising Thug Life and urging viewers to ignore public reviews.
One video, which has since gone viral, features a fan stating, “If you noticed Instagram reels in the past few days, everyone was mocking the film. Then came a sudden wave of influencers saying the opposite—claiming they never review films, but wanted to say Thug Life was great, and that people shouldn’t believe the negative talk. All the posts seemed suspiciously similar. I posted about this, and someone from the film industry called me and confirmed that these were indeed paid promotions. RKFI has reportedly spent several lakhs on this.”
Confession from a #KamalHassan fan himself #RKFI spent lakhs to promote #Thuglife with couple vloggers and Reel influencers post the disastrous reviews from the public.
Komalis are requested to shut their mouths from now on about PR and other such stuff. Lifetime lesson for… pic.twitter.com/uehVqH9YcU
— Vignesh S (@svigneshchn) June 10, 2025
The fan further noted that the language and structure of these promotional videos appeared formulaic, indicating a coordinated PR campaign rather than genuine opinion. RKFI has yet to issue an official statement addressing the allegations.
Thug Life, directed by the celebrated Mani Ratnam and starring Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR, sells itself as a gritty gangster epic. In reality, the plot is a regressive, cringe-worthy mess. The central storyline revolves around Rangaraya Sakthivel, an ageing gangster played by Haasan, who juggles between a wife and a mistress (Trisha Krishnan) in a disturbingly casual affair. What’s worse is the later development where Simbu’s character, raised as a son by Haasan’s character, takes over his father figure’s mistress as his own romantic partner—with no emotional or ethical reckoning.
(With inputs from Updates 360)