Nasser reacts to failure of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's Thug Life; blames social media: ‘After the movie released on OTT…'

Indian Express

14 hours ago

Despite arriving riding high on a wave of massive hype, as it marked the reunion of director Mani Ratnam and actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan after their landmark film Nayakan (1987), the gangster drama Thug Life was widely panned and ended up becoming a box office disaster. Not only did it fail to meet the expectations of fans and general moviegoers, but the movie also turned into a meme goldmine, ultimately becoming a cinematic 'disasterpiece'.
Mounted on a massive budget, the film's cast and crew featured some of the biggest names in the Indian entertainment industry, including Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, actors Silambarasan TR and Trisha Krishnan, multiple national award-winning editor A Sreekar Prasad, and cinematographer extraordinaire Ravi K Chandran. Hence, the movie's debacle — and, by extension, its purported poor quality — not only shocked many but also left a mark on all involved.
Now, veteran actor-filmmaker Nasser, who played a key role in the gangster drama, has reacted to Thug Life's underperformance. Expressing that he 'felt very bad' seeing the movie's fate, the thespian blamed 'self-proclaimed' film critics on social media for the result. Nasser also mentioned that many viewers contacted him after the movie's OTT premiere, commending Thug Life and expressing sadness over not having caught the film in theatres, a decision they apparently made based on reading online reviews.
'In my 40-year career, during which I have done about 700 movies, I have always tried to remain detached from my films (and their outcomes). Many films in which I performed well didn't reach audiences, and such things happen. So, I maintain my detachment. However, Thug Life was something personal. Here, I was working with the team that made me popular and successful and provided a turning point in my career. On the first day on set, I was blushing. It felt like I had gone back 40 years,' he shared in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN.
Although Nasser made his acting debut in legendary director K Balachander's Kalyana Agathigal (1985) and appeared in a handful of movies after that, it was Mani and Kamal's epic crime drama Nayakan that put the actor on the map and propelled his career to new heights. Some of his most acclaimed characters were also in films headlined by Mani or Kamal, such as Thevar Magan, Bombay, Roja, Iruvar, Anbe Sivam, Ponniyin Selvan, and Magalir Mattum.
Mentioning that everyone who worked on the movie put their heart and soul into it, he added, 'I saw Kamal sir, a professional actor, handled by another professional (Mani). It was not about friendship. Kamal sir was open to taking any decision made by Mani Ratnam.' He further stated that this was the first time in a long while that he had worked on a movie with rehearsals beforehand. 'After the arrival of digital cinema, there are almost no rehearsals. But Kamal sir was rehearsing. He wanted to go further and further. So, the process of making the film was very warm and special. Hence, when it was not received well, I felt very bad.'
Offering his thoughts on why the movie underperformed, the actor-filmmaker reflected, 'I think social media played a significant role in this. We don't have proper critics on social media, where anyone can become one. After the movie was released on OTT, many people called me and said, 'Hey macha, it's a very good film. I don't know why it bombed.' So, social media contributed to why it wasn't received well at first.'
He added, 'Also, I guess, people expected too much since it marked the reunion of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan. But while working, we did so with all our heart and soul. We completely enjoyed making the film. Of course, when it comes to movies, you cannot determine the results. But I felt very… not sad, but uncomfortable when I heard that the film was not doing well. However, now it's getting more credit after people started watching it on OTT.'
Anandu Suresh is a Deputy Copy 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 [e-mail]. ... Read More