Mohanlal's ‘Chotta Mumbai' re-release set for clash with ‘Thug Life'
It's official —
's iconic action-comedy 'Chotta Mumbai' is set to roar back into theatres! The beloved 2007 blockbuster has been digitally remastered in stunning 4K resolution with immersive Atmos sound and will hit the big screens on June 6, 2025.
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Mohanlal confirms the date
Mohanlal took to his Twitter handle to share the re-release update. Sharing a poster of Vasco from the movie, the legendary actor wrote, '#ChottaMumbai Remastered 4K Atmos version Re-Releasing on 6th June 2025 ! #Maniyanpillaraju #Anwarrasheed #Rahulraj #Bennypnayarambalam #BoneyAssanar #Hystudioz.'
Thudarum - Official Teaser
Netizens react - Is it a bad release time?
Fans who grew up watching this cult classic are beyond excited to experience it like never before. While the re-release was initially slated for May 21, the makers postponed it, and the updated date has now been confirmed by none other than Mohanlal himself and director
, setting off a flurry of nostalgic reactions across social media.
Meanwhile, the fact that Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's most awaited 'Thug Life' is releasing on June 5, has posed some doubts among the audiences. One commented, 'But Whyyyy !!.' #ThugLife in danger (laughing emoji).' A third one commented, 'If 'Thug Life' is not impressive, we will book tickets for this.'
Why 'Chotta Mumbai' still rules hearts?
Directed by Anwar Rasheed and written by Benny P. Nayarambalam, 'Chotta Mumbai' captured the hearts of
audiences when it first released.
Mohanlal's portrayal of Vasco da Gama, affectionately called 'Thala', became an instant fan favorite. The film boasts a stellar supporting cast including Kalabhavan Mani, Siddique, Jagathy Sreekumar, Indrajith Sukumaran, Bhavana, and Sai Kumar. With its perfect blend of comedy, action, and local flavor, the story follows Vasco and his carefree gang as they get tangled in a web involving a corrupt cop and the notorious gangster Nadeshan.
Get ready to laugh, cheer, and groove once again!
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Thug Life Review: Kamal Haasan Commands An Uneven But Gripping Gangster Saga
Last Updated: After more than three decades, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan reunite for Thug Life—a film that combines Shakespearean tragedy with modern gangster spectacle. The first half of Thug Life has something that recent Tamil gangster dramas don't: drama. The film begins in 1995 in Old Delhi with a supposed peace talk between two gangs in a crowded and bustling old building. On one hand, we have Rangaraya Saktivel (Kamal Haasan) and his gang, on the other, Sadanand (Mahesh Manjrekar), who has set his enemies up. The police force close in and amidst all this tension, a father, his son, and daughter go about delivering dailies to each door. The exchanges between the characters are natural and subtle, and we get a smart, de-aged Kamal Haasan. He doesn't get a raging introduction scene. Anything and everything is for the scene and the tension, which ends in the poor father getting shot as collateral damage and Sakthivel walking away carrying the orphaned boy Amar (Silambarasan TR) as his 'shield' from the police bullets. This straightforward, simple, but effective storytelling makes the first half of Thug Life an engrossing watch, and it undoes everything it achieves in the second. Amar, who grows up to become the loyal heir of Sakthivel, keeps searching for his sister Chandra, who went missing during the botched-up encounter. When Sakthivel's gang members become power-hungry, they turn Amar against the boss, fueling this long-forgotten tragedy. What follows is a bloody, Shakespearean betrayal, with Sakthivel fighting his way back to reclaim what he once ruled. As a story, Thug Life is a garden variety revenge drama. There's nothing unique or there's no twist that takes you by surprise. Yet, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan have attempted to make this basic story into a character-driven film, where violence is not cathartic but painful. The structural problem with Thug Life is that it starts with the story of Amar, Sakthivel, and his promise to find Chandra. But we don't get to see or feel Chandra till the end. Instead, the film spent more time being a generic action drama. What it needs is more interesting writing like its protagonist Kamal Haasan. In a drunken and envious stupor, Manicam (Nasser), the elder brother of Rengaraya Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan), describes the latter as follows: 'My brother treats you to a delicious meal on a banana leaf with all the great food, but in the corner he leaves some sh**." The tasteless comment has some truth to it. Rengaraya Sakthivel is an ambiguous character. He is sharp but also rogue. He is a man who kills without flinching but champions women's education; he revels in caste pride yet is progressive enough to marry his daughter into another caste; he adores his wife but has a mistress—and calls his hypersexuality a disease. The pillar of Thug Life is this complex character and the ingenious acting of Kamal Haasan that brings him to life. Kamal is in towering form. There's a stunning late-film sequence where Sakthivel, under heavy sedatives, is forced into combat. He fights, he smirks, he bleeds—and yet never fully wakes. It's Haasan telling us, with quiet swagger, that he can act circles around others in his sleep. For fans who've longed to see him sink his teeth into a meaty role, Thug Life delivers in spades. Silambarasan TR is equally compelling as Amar, bringing both heft and vulnerability to a role that could have easily been overshadowed by Haasan. But the second half of Thug Life veers off course. The layered character drama gives way to conventional revenge tropes and uninspired action sequences. For a film that initially avoids clichés, it becomes disappointingly generic in its latter stages. Mani Ratnam, known for staging subtle yet rousing hero moments, resists such indulgences here—but the restraint doesn't always work in the film's favour. The film needed more bite both in terms of action sequences and emotional drama. The arc between Sakthivel and his wife Jeeva (Ambirami) also fails to land. Their dynamic, instead of adding depth, feels overwrought and inconsistent with the rest of Sakthivel's character. Thug Life ends up becoming a film that is torn between telling two stories. One is the unkillable and morally ambiguous king who continues to defy death. This story of Rangaray Sakthivel is a stand-in or metaphor for Kamal Haasan himself and how the actor has stood the test of time. However, this is half-done as the film is also about Amar and his tragedy. The climax is supposed to complete the circle. Now, the 'shield' gets shielded but still, the arc isn't organic and the irony kind of gets lost in the immortality of Sakthivel. While Thug Life may not be Nayakan, it never tries to be. What it does offer is a compelling drama anchored by a magnetic lead performance, intelligent writing in parts, and an exploration of power, loyalty, and loss. It stumbles in its second act, but Kamal's performance and Ratnam's streaks of brilliance make it worth the ride. First Published:
India Today
an hour ago
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Kamal Haasan, R Madhavan, Sonu Sood, celebs mourn Bengaluru stampede tragedy
11 people were killed in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on June 4. The incident happened during the IPL victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Kamal Haasan, R Madhavan, Sonu Sood and other celebs from the film industry expressed their concern for the 'distressed' and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the wrenching tragedy in Bangalore. Deeply distressed and my heart reaches out to the families of the victims in this moment of grief. May the injured recover soon (sic)," wrote Haasan, whose film 'Thug Life' saw a grand release today in theatres. Madhavan, known for his work in several Telugu and Hindi films, called the incident 'heartbreaking'. He wrote on his Instagram story, "This is so heartbreaking. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Please be responsible and safe and do not respond to rumours without checking with the authorities (sic)." advertisement Actor Vivek Oberoi made a note on X, expressing his 'deepest sorrow'. His post read, "Deepest sorrow fills us as we mourn the lives tragically lost in the Bengaluru stampede. It's truly saddening to lose loved ones, especially during what should have been a moment of collective joy in cricket (sic)." The post further read, "To the families and friends now facing this unimaginable void, our hearts ache with yours. We send our deepest condolences and heartfelt support, hoping you find some solace amidst this profound grief. May strength and peace be with you (sic)."Actor Sonu Sood, known for his philanthropic works, also wrote on X: "Heartbroken by the tragedy during the IPL celebrations in Bangalore. No celebration is worth a life; Prayers for the families and all those affected (sic)." The Karnataka government announced a Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of those who died during the stampede, and also ordered a magisterial probe. However, the Chief Minister of the state, Siddaramaiah, denied the state had made any requests regarding the celebrations and they simply 'facilitated' the addressing the media about the incident, he said, "It is not us. We didn't make any requests regarding the celebration to RCB and KSCA. They organised this. We felt that the government should facilitate. Just because it was a Bengaluru team, we felt that we should be a part of the celebration. That's all. We didn't ask that we would do this, but it was RCB and KSCA who brought the team to Bengaluru for celebrations."Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has taken up a suo motu public interest litigation over the stampede with the hearing slated for 2:30 pm today. IN THIS STORY#Kamal Haasan
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Thug Life Movie Review: Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam's ‘game of thrones' is a cinematic endurance test
Thug Life Movie Review & Rating: 'You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,' Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight) warned the world, particularly those so-called saviours who never seem to vacate the throne, nor evolve enough to remain worthy of it over time. However, not everyone seems to have received the memo or grasped the implications of that line. Illustrating its meaning loud and clear, Mani Ratnam has delivered what is arguably his weakest film to date, the Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life. Worse still, the only way one could even identify it as a Mani Ratnam film is the grandiosity of its visuals and the occasional brilliance of its long shots. If not for these, Thug Life would have felt like an unending gangster drama, crafted by an overambitious filmmaker (anyone, really) whose only asset was ambition and nothing more. After opening with a visually well-crafted scene that introduces Rangaraya Sakthivel's (Kamal Haasan) lifelong 'tryst' with death, dating back to the moment of his birth, Thug Life cuts to a flashback set in Old Delhi, 1994. A gangster based in the capital, Sakthivel is steadily expanding his horizons and is set to dethrone his supposed crime guru Sadanand (Mahesh Manjrekar). Following a tense meeting in an old residential building occupied by tens of middle-class families, Sadanand snitches on Sakthivel and his gang to the police, who quickly surround the area. As a shootout ensues, Sakthivel, his elder brother Manickam (Nassar) and others attempt to flee. Amid the chaos, Sakthivel finds a young boy, Amaran, orphaned in the crossfire. Guilt-ridden, he adopts the boy and raises him as his own brother/son/protégé. Cut to 2016: Sakthivel remains a powerful force, and Amaran (Silambarasan, with one of his career-worst intros) is now his trusted lieutenant. When Sakthivel is imprisoned for murder, he entrusts his empire and the safety of his wife Jeeva (Abhirami) and daughter Mangai (Sanjana Krishnamoorthy) to Amaran. Though this irks Manickam and others in the gang, they are powerless to object. Meanwhile, Amaran rises. Once he returns, Sakthivel realises the power dynamics have shifted and that Amaran is now the kingpin. Seeking to gain control, Manickam schemes with other like-minded gang members and manages to poison Amaran's mind too. Together, they decide to eliminate Sakthivel. But can they? Thug Life is essentially a game of thrones; a battle for all-consuming power. While this core idea has been adapted in countless forms over the centuries, with traces even in ancient epics, it still hasn't lost its appeal. Particularly because it exposes the moral grey in people who believe that 'all is fair in war (and love).' However, the Mani Ratnam directorial is plagued by extremely subpar writing that not only fails to make the most of its premise but also falls short in delivering an engaging experience. Filled with uninspired and undercooked moments that lead nowhere, Thug Life ends up as a cinematic endurance test. Although the film opens with a visual and narrative metaphor that captures the essence of Thug Life, it soon falters. While the black-and-white shootout sequence that follows had the potential to serve as a microcosm of the film, blending action and drama, it ultimately acts as a warning sign of what's to come: unimpressive action and unimpactful drama. We're soon introduced to a slew of characters who dominate much of the screentime, yet none of them leave a lasting impression due to weak development and even weaker character arcs. Take Sakthivel himself, for instance. Though he's introduced as a 'criminal, thug, Yakuza' with a humane side and relatable vulnerabilities, the film never gives us impactful moments to fully grasp or feel any of these facets. Instead, Thug Life drifts from one half-cooked scene to another, never offering the audience enough substance to connect with him. At the same time, Amaran, intended to be a layered character who goes through significant emotional dilemmas and setbacks, also suffers from shallow writing. His arc is riddled with glaring gaps, the result of a script that prioritises the unnecessary over the meaningful. Unlike Nayakan, where Sakthivel 'Velu' Nayakkar (Kamal) assumed a lone-wolf persona, Thug Life unfolds through bonds, both familial and chosen. Yet even these dynamics remain underexplored, mainly due to poor characterisation. Though Mani and Kamal, credited as screenwriters, attempt to bridge the gaps through 'heavy' (read as, shoddy) and long dialogues, the substandard quality of the writing prevents the film from establishing the bonds, particularly the emotional lock between Sakthivel and Amaran. Despite the friction between them being crucial to the later part of the narrative, Mani Ratnam never manages to build this dynamic cohesively, rendering even their eventual tension flat and uninspiring. In fact, the confrontation and subsequent fight scene between Sakthivel and his friend-turned-foe Pathros (Joju George) is far more gripping and exhilarating than the cumulative impact of all the other moments in the film. Also, how long will filmmakers keep thinking that a hero falling off a cliff is still a good narrative device? Even though Amaran and the others are gangsters, wouldn't they have watched some movies to have the basic common sense to check for Sakthivel's body and make sure that the dude is actually dead before starting to celebrate? Seriously. While Thug Life tries, again, only through dialogues, to establish that Sakthivel loves his wife Jeeva, it fails to convincingly convey the depth of that love, which is supposedly the motivation for his dramatic return from the dead. Strangely enough, Sakthivel is also shown to have a mistress, Indrani (Trisha Krishnan), for whom he supposedly harbours quite some affection. Yet this relationship, too, is never developed beyond superficial physicality. Instead of meaningful moments that illuminate their bond (if any exists), we're left with the occasional make-out scenes. In fact, throughout the movie, Mani and Kamal have bluntly attempted to establish emotional depth through forced dialogues, rather than letting these relationships unfold organically. If the male characters are underwritten, the women fare even worse. Their presence, particularly in the cases of Jeeva and Indrani, is largely limited to being felt up by Sakthivel. And the other few women, well, they don't matter even that much to the makers. They contribute little to nothing of substance to the narrative. While the film briefly hints at Amaran's interest in Indrani and later shows him forcibly taking her away after dethroning Sakthivel, this track is clumsily and carelessly handled. 'You turned the beast in me into a human being,' he tells her towards the end. But how? Mani and Kamal leave it to the already-confused and tired audience to fill in the blanks. Interestingly, while Rangaraya Sakthivel is stripped of the Nayakkar surname (as seen in the initial promos), Mani and Kamal still ensure that the character's dominant caste identity is not invisibilised. This is underscored in a moment when Mangai expresses to Amaran her fear that her father might not approve of her romantic relationship due to caste differences. As the narrative moves along one trajectory, Kamal Haasan's performance seems to run on an entirely different track, rarely intersecting. There are multiple instances in Thug Life where it feels like Kamal is unsure of which film he's in, as his performance is out of sync with the tone of the movie. While Kamal resorts to his typical theatrics, the rest of the cast — though none of them, including Silambarasan, did anything exceptional — at least attempt to stay true to the film's mood. The result is a visible gap between Kamal's performance and those of his co-stars. Thug Life, in a way, feels like a car ride that Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman and cinematographer Ravi K Chandran embarked upon. But midway through, everyone, including Mani at the wheel, somehow dozed off, leaving Ravi, from the back seat, to somehow take over and steer the vehicle to safety before it crashed. From start to finish, Ravi does an exceptional job with the visuals, richly capturing the ethos of the city and the characters. Sreekar Prasad's editing, while salvaging these visuals to a great extent, never manages to rescue the film from its dull and disjointed storytelling. Another major disappointment in Thug Life is Rahman's music, especially the jarring and often senseless background score. At several points, the BGM feels so tonally off that it makes the viewers feel like they are watching a gangster spoof. While 'Vinveli Nayaga' is good in its entirety, its fragmented odd placements in various parts of the film end up detracting from the overall experience. If there's anything as bad as AR Rahman's music on the technical front, it's Anbariv's action choreography. In short, Thug Life is a lot like watching a never-ending Kamal Haasan interview, where he keeps delivering long-winded lectures on things he already knows, without ever bothering to listen to the actual question. Thug Life movie cast: Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Abhirami, Joju George Thug Life movie director: Mani Ratnam Thug Life movie rating: 1.5 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
