PremiumMani Ratnam opens up about Kamal Haasan starrer Thug Life; reveals why he prefers to stay unpredictable
Mani Ratnam is set to reunite with Kamal Haasan after a gap of 36 years. They are collaborating on the upcoming action drama film Thug Life
Last Updated: 07.37 PM, Nov 19, 2023
Mani Ratnam gearing up to kickstart the shooting of his ambitious project Thug Life, by the end of 2023. The veteran filmmaker is currently busy with the final round of pre-production of the movie, which is touted to be a unique action drama. The title announcement video of Thug Life, which was dropped on the special occasion of its leading man Kamal Haasan’s 69th birthday, left the cine-goers extremely excited.
Mani Ratnam opens up about Thug Life
The celebrated filmmaker is all set to reunite with legendary actor Kamal Haasan after a long gap of 36 years, for Thug Life. The movie marks the duo’s second collaboration, after the cult classic movie Nayakan, which hit the theatres in 1987.
Mani Ratnam, who recently appeared on the Galatta Plus Tamil Roundtable 2023, opened up about Thug Life. When interviewer Baradwaj Rangan jokingly stated that the director was going to reveal the story of his upcoming Kamal Haasan starrer in the interview, Mani Ratnam replied that the conversation was going to end soon, in that case.
Even though the filmmaker refrained from revealing anything about his passion project, he hinted at trying a different genre with the eagerly-awaited movie. Mani Ratnam also admitted that he thinks it is very important to not repeat genres and stay unpredictable, thus confirming that the Kamal Haasan starrer is entirely different from his trademark style.
Mani Ratnam reveals why he prefers unpredictability
The legendary filmmaker remarked that he prefers to stay unpredictable as a creator and is particular about not repeating genres, as it makes things easier. Mani Ratnam believes that a creator has to be a genius to stay predictable and still be good at what they do. He pointed out how artist Charlie Chaplin entertained the audience with their signature style and still stayed relevant.
The Ponniyin Selvan director believes he needs to stay unpredictable as a director to keep going, and wishes to approach all his films like he made his debut film. Mani Ratnam also added that the biggest advantage of unpredictability is the freshness that it brings to everything. The filmmaker concluded that he approaches every film without having any idea of how to make it, and added that it has always helped him.
About Thug Life
Kamal Haasan is playing the central character Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar in the Mani Ratnam directorial. Trisha Krishnan is playing the female lead in the project, which stars Dulquer Salmaan and Jayam Ravi in the ker roles. AR Rahman composes the music. Ravi K Chandran is the director of photography. A Sreekar Prasad handles the editing.