Retro director Karthik Subbaraj gets bitter reactions from netizens after reviewing Kamal Haasan's Thug Life

Pink Villa

10 hours ago

Thug Life starring Kamal Haasan and Simbu in lead roles had hit the big screens on June 5, 2025. Following the release, the film has been receiving mixed-to-negative reviews, but director Karthik Subbaraj had otherwise to say.
In a recent post on social media, the filmmaker was seen talking about the Kamal Haasan starrer and complimented it with kind words. With a write-up, the Retro director said, 'Felt & relished the OG #Mani sir vibes in most of the scenes... Loved it #Thuglife. #ManiRatnam Sir - The Master of Vintage Gangster Dramas. Kamal Haasan Sir's performance was, as usual, a masterclass in acting.'
Continuing his words, the director praised Silambarasan TR for his swag and lauded the entire cast for their performances. Subbaraj concluded by even how AR Rahman and DOP Ravi K Chandran weaved their magic in the film.
Karthik Subbaraj reviews Thug Life
While the director's words may have been of bliss, netizens seemed to have a different attitude towards it. Many of the users on X (formerly Twitter) hit out against him with one user saying, 'Hope you watched the same version as we did. Nothing as such happened in our version.'
Another user in a similar fashion said, 'Same content/copy paste for big star movies, brother. Seriously worse review as of now.'
Netizens lash out against Karthik Subbaraj's review
Talking about the film, Thug Life features the tale of Rangaraaya Sakthivel, a gangster who once adopted a young boy, Amaran, after his biological father died. Years later, the foster son grows up to become a formidable member of the mafia.
After an altercation and imprisonment, Sakthivel returns to his home only to see his empire now under the control of Amaran. With animosity brewing between them, the rest of the film focuses on the bad blood shared by the once-loving father and son.
With Haasan and STR in the lead, the movie had Trisha Krishnan, Nassar, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and more in key roles.
On the other hand, Karthik Subbaraj was seen helming the romantic actioner Retro starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde. The movie is currently available for streaming on Netflix.