Latest news with #AmarHai
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kamal Haasan reveals Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life' is based on his original script
Thug Life, releasing June 5, 2025, is directed by Mani Ratnam and stars Kamal Haasan, based on his script Amar Hai. The film features a star-studded cast and music by A.R. Rahman. It tells a gripping story of a man presumed dead who reappears amid mafia conflicts. Excitement is flying for the pan-India movie 'Thug Life' as its release draws near, just two weeks away. The team behind the film is busy with various promotional events to build anticipation. In a recent interview, Kamal Haasan shared an interesting fact: the story of 'Thug Life' originates from a script he personally penned, adding a special touch to the film's creation. The Origin of the Story: Amar Hai In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kamal revealed that 'Thug Life' is adapted from a script he had written earlier, titled 'Amar Hai'. He explained that the title is a pun, referring to a man named Amar who is believed to be dead but actually isn't. This twist forms the core of the story, which begins with a mysterious dead body, only for Amar to later appear and peek in. The trailer highlights this by stating, 'The trouble with him is that he's dead. ' Kamal Haasan on the Creative Process The actor further said that he wrote this and that character, but Mani Ratnam took it like an idea. It's like telling a joke — you say you like it, but the final punch could be sharper. A Star-Studded Production 'Thug Life' is a collaborative production involving Kamal Haasan's Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies, along with producers R Mahendran and Siva Ananth. The film brings together a stellar cast from both South Indian cinema and Bollywood. Kamal Haasan stars as Rangaraaya Sakthivel Naicker, supported by prominent actors including Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan , Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf . Direction and Music Mani Ratnam directs the film, with music crafted by AR Rahman. 'Thug Life' is poised to hit theaters worldwide on June 5, 2025. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kamal Haasan says he and Mani Ratnam 'want the audience to forget Nayakan' when they watch Thug Life
This is one of the most highly anticipated films, given that ace director Mani Ratnam and film legend Kamal Haasan have joined hands after 38 years. It was in 1987 that the two stalwarts worked together in Nayakan, which is featured on Time's All-Time 100 Best Films and is a cult classic. In a media meet for Thug Life in Chennai, Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman, Silambarasan, Trisha, Abhirami, and Ashok Selvan came together to talk about the film and their experiences. (Also read: Thug Life trailer: Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan clash in Mani Ratnam's action-packed gangster drama. Watch) One of the biggest comparisons being made is obviously between Nayakan and Thug Life, as they are both crime dramas, and while in Nayakan, he was Velu Naicker, in Thug Life, he is Rangaraya Sakthivel Naicker. When Kamal Haasan was asked about the grand reunion with Mani Ratnam after 37 years and what had changed between Nayakan and Thug Life, he replied, 'I am a more experienced actor now. Both of us have also evolved – we are not the same Mani Ratnam or Kamal Haasan we were during Nayakan. Even AR Rahman is not the same music director since then. Mani has gone in the direction he has wanted, and if he has not achieved what he wanted to, it's only because of circumstances and not otherwise. We also want people to forget Nayakan when they watch this film. This is not related to that.' Interestingly, the story of Thug Life has been written by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. 'I had written a script called Amar Hai, which was with me, and I told Mani about it. That story was then polished and reworked by Mani – so if you look at Amar Hai and then Thug Life, it won't be the exact same story now but that is the inspiration. This is what I believe is true collaboration,' Kamal stated. Incidentally, Amar Hai was announced as a film around nine years ago and was to feature Kamal Haasan and Saif Ali Khan. But the movie was eventually dropped. The Amar Hai story was about a man named Amar, who is thought to be dead, but he is in fact alive. When the 16 Vayathinile star was asked about life and death, which played a role in this film, he replied, 'I don't separate death from life. Death is a part of life. Your conscience is immortal.' The actor added that the synergy between everyone in the Thug Life cast was wonderful and they all understood the vision and worked well together. He smiled, 'Mani Ratnam orchestrated it well.' As for what has changed over the years, Kamal said that everything has changed in cinema over the years from the lights to the cameras to the cars people come in but what remained the same was that the actors who came to act were still the same. When Hindustan Times asked Kamal Haasan what he would say if he could sum up his life in one line, Kamal Haasan smiled and said, "Life!" To this, actor Askok Selvan jokingly added, "Thug Life!"
