Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam reunite after 36 years

Thug Life will be co-produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies and Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies.

Film Poster / X/@@RKFI

Indian actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan has announced his 234th film, titled Thug Life. 36 years after Nayakan, the 69-year-old actor has rejoined director Mani Ratnam for the film. Theannouncement was made on November 6, 2023, the eve of Haasan's birthday.

In the announcement video posted on YouTube, the actor is seen in a rugged attire ad introduced himself as"Rengaraya Sakthivel Nayakan." Sharing the poster on X, formerly known as Twitter, Raaj Kamal Films International captioned the post saying, “New name and new history.”

Thug Life will be co-produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies and Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies. The cast include actors Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Dulquer Salmaan, Abhirami and Nasser.

According to Hindustan Times report, the director would collaborate with cinematographer Ravi K Chandran, editor Sreekar Prasad and music composer A R Rahman for the film. Meanwhile, Haasan is also engaged in Indian 2, a sequel to director Shankar's blockbuster action film Indian (1996). It will hit the screens in 2024.

The Indian 2 cast includes actors Kajal Aggarwal, SJ Suryah, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Nedumudi Venu, Samuthirakani, Bobby Simha, and Kalidas Jayaram. The movie is produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Subaskaran. Kaavaala fame Anirudh Ravichander is the music composer and Ravi Varman is the cinematographer. The actor was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram released in 2022.