Thug Life, the overhyped Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam reunion, is a cinematic trainwreck so abysmal it makes you question how the duo behind the masterful Nayagan could churn out such an illogical, stupid, and utterly deplorable mess.
Calling this a gangster film is an insult to the genre; it’s a disjointed, soulless slog that fails as drama, romance, or even basic entertainment. This isn’t just a bad movie—it’s a torturous betrayal of everything its creators once stood for.
The story, if you can stomach calling it that, centers on mafia don Rangaraya Sakthivel (Haasan) adopting Amaran (Silambarasan TR) in a tired, predictable father-son betrayal arc that’s as fresh as a stale vada. The script is a chaotic dumpster fire, cobbling together clichés from every gangster flick without a shred of originality or logic. It’s not The Godfather—it’s a wannabe Mirzapur with none of the grit or coherence. The pacing is agonizing, stretching to a near-three-hour runtime that feels like an eternity of punishment. A few scattered dialogues land with wit, but they’re like crumbs in a desert of dreadful writing.
Haasan’s performance is a caricature, all bluster and no depth, with his endless, preachy monologues reeking of DMK propaganda. It’s as if he’s campaigning for votes instead of playing a don. His de-aged flashbacks, while visually slick, are hollow, adding nothing to a narrative that’s already brain-dead. Silambarasan TR is the lone spark, delivering raw intensity that the script doesn’t deserve, but even he’s sidelined in a second half that collapses into a vortex of dumb plot twists and uninspired shootouts. Trisha Krishnan’s role is a pathetic afterthought, a romantic subplot so nonexistent it’s almost cruel to call it that. The ensemble cast—Joju George, Ashok Selvan—wastes away in forgettable roles, victims of a script that cares for no one.
Emotion? Zero. The film lacks the heart to be a drama. Romance? Nonexistent, with not a single meaningful connection to root for. Even the music, typically a Mani Ratnam strength, is a letdown—A.R. Rahman’s score tries hard, but the absence of songs like the promised “Mutha Mazhai” leaves a void. Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is the only saving grace, capturing Delhi’s underbelly with flair, but it’s lipstick on a pig.
The Karnataka ban over Haasan’s “Kannada is born out of Tamil” remark only highlights the film’s tone-deaf hubris. Thug Life is a cringe-inducing, self-important disaster that disgraces the Nayagan legacy and insults its audience. Save your sanity—avoid this garbage at all costs and rewatch a real gangster classic instead.
Karnataka people, see if you can ban this film forever so that you are spared from torture.
BR Sreenivasan is a political commentator.
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