Thug Life First Reviews: Mani Ratnam-Kamal Hassan's reunion film leaves much to be desired; fans joke, ‘pls do skip'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Fresh from the audio launch controversy that sparked outrage across Karnataka, Thug Life, the much-anticipated gangster drama directed by Mani Ratnam, has finally landed in cinemas. Co-written by Kamal Haasan himself, the film marks a massive collaboration between two titans of Tamil cinema — but early reactions suggest that the cinematic reunion hasn't quite lived up to its towering expectations.
Set against a gritty backdrop, Thug Life tells the tale of mafia kingpin Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) and his brother Manickam, who rescue a young boy named Amaran during a police shootout. As the boy grows into a man under their tutelage, the family is shattered by an attempted assassination, leading Sakthivel on a violent quest for vengeance — a journey that threatens to destroy the very foundation of his makeshift family.
With an ensemble cast featuring Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan TR Joju George, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf and more, the film is styled as a sprawling gangster saga that attempts to blend family drama, with stylised violence.
For a film this hyped, Thug Life has received a surprisingly low response from both critics and audiences. Social media, particularly Reddit and X, is flooded with opinions — most of them far from flattering. 'How is this the best Mani and Kamal could come up with? Like this script brought them back together?' wrote one disappointed viewer. Another chimed in, 'First half is predictable coz of trailer,' while someone replied, 'Joju George and Ali Fazal are completely wasted. Trisha doesn't even bother to lip-sync through most of her portions.' Even the film's attempt at international flair raised eyebrows. 'I don't understand why they even used the word Yakuza in the film, it feels totally irrelevant, except for the fact that KH plays a gangster. Mani Ratnam seems to have no clue why he even made the second half,' remarked another user.
While the cinematography and some performances — especially from Silambarasan TR — have earned praise, other aspects, like the music and pacing, failed to impress. 'Just got done. Cinematography was nice. Not an STR fan, but he did well. BGM wasn't great. All this Dhee vs Chinmayi for the song to not even be in the movie. Skip if you aren't a Kamal/Mani sir fan. Actually, pls do skip if you're a fan of theirs. 2/5 and that's me being hella generous,' one frustrated user wrote. The second half of the movie has come under particularly harsh criticism. 'Post-interval 30 minutes enraged me. Extremely convenient plot points for the main protagonist, almost laughable tbh. Sigh.' Another review echoed, 'So much potential in the first half totally destroyed in the second half. Odd BGM choices also hindered the experience. A Mani sir movie without an emotional connect is truly rare.'
Whether Haasan's language comments controversy ultimately boosts or hurts the film's box office run remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Thug Life has landed with a bang — just not the one its creators might have hoped for.