Thug Life Review: When two legends like Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan reunite after four decades, the expectations are bound to be sky-high. Add AR Rahman’s music, Ravi K Chandran’s visuals, and a compelling gangster premise, and you’ve got what should have been a cinematic storm. But somewhere between the ambition and the execution, Thug Life turns into a confusing, overcooked dish that struggles to find its flavour.
Kamal Haasan’s Character Arc: From Gangster to Guardian
Thug Life starts on a high – literally and graphically. We are witness to a dramatic, stylized black-and-white introduction to Kamal Haasan’s Rangaraya Sakthivel, a gangster whose life-long flirtation with death starts right from the moment he’s born. The visuals are taut, and for a moment, it seems like we’re in the competent hands of Mani Ratnam once again.
But that hope is short-lived. The film soon shifts to Old Delhi, 1994, where the plot thickens – or so we’re led to believe. Sakthivel is on the rise, planning to overthrow his crime mentor Sadanand (Mahesh Manjrekar). A betrayal follows, a shootout breaks out, and amidst the chaos, Sakthivel adopts a boy named Amaran, who has been orphaned by the gunfire. So far, so gritty.
Big Fight for Power but Weak Storytelling
Fast forward to 2016, and Sakthivel is reigning supreme over the underworld, with Amaran (Silambarasan TR) his trusted lieutenant. When Sakthivel is imprisoned, he leaves Amaran with the key to his kingdom – a move that begins a simmering Game of Thrones-esque battle for power.
Manickam (Nassar), Sakthivel’s brother, is not pleased. Tensions mount. Loyalties shift. And soon Amaran is no longer the devoted protégé – he’s the new kingpin, conspiring to kill the man who adopted him.
This could’ve been powerful. It should’ve been a cinematic conflict filled with emotion, betrayal, and nuance. But the screenplay does little to nurture the emotional arc between these two central characters. We’re left watching a half-hearted tug of war between undercooked characters.
Why Thug Life Falls Short in Storytelling: Too Much Talk, Too Little Show
Ultimately, at its root, Thug Life is an ageless story. The ambitious protege betraying his mentor is a cliche older than film itself. Consider Scar and Mufasa, Michael Corleone and Vito, or even Shakespearean monarchs and their successors. They succeed because they confront the grey areas of loyalty, ambition, love and power.
But here’s the issue – Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s screenplay spends too much time telling and not showing. Instead of letting us feel the shifting dynamics through moments, actions and silences, we’re bombarded with lengthy, forced dialogues that try too hard to sound profound.
Sakthivel’s redemption from gangster to fallen human never quite gains the emotional heft it requires. Amaran’s betrayal is introduced at a sudden sprint and without explanation. Even the familial tension that the film teases is only just that – teased.
How Poor Female Characters Hurt the Story
Kamal Haasan gives it his best. But sometimes, one gets the feeling that he is acting in a different movie. His emotional pitch, his intensity – they are all there, but the script doesn’t support him. There are times when his performance doesn’t connect with the rest of the movie.
Silambarasan TR, who was expected to excel as Amaran, gives a surprisingly dull performance. His entrance is awkward, and his journey never quite takes off. We never get fully invested in his motivations or emotional struggle.
The female characters? Criminally underwritten. Trisha Krishnan’s Indrani and Abhirami’s Jeeva are either used for physical intimacy or background noise. There’s no attempt to build meaningful relationships or even give them agency. In a film of such grandeur, the lack of strong women characters is a glaring void.
The Most Powerful Scene: Sakthivel vs Pathros Fight Breakdown
Ironically, the most effective scene in the movie has nothing to do with the mentor-protégé team. The fight between Sakthivel and Pathros (Joju George) is visceral, raw, and provides a glimpse of what the movie might have become. It’s gritty, intimate, and full of the kind of emotional tension the rest of the movie desperately needs. Too bad it’s only one moment in an ocean of lost potential.
Thug Life Plot Flaws
There’s a moment in Thug Life that perfectly summarises its writing flaws: Sakthivel falling off a cliff after being attacked by Amaran and his gang. It’s 2025 – we’ve seen this in countless films. Yet, no one bothers to check for his body. Why? Because it’s a lazy plot device designed for his “shocking” return later.
It’s a time like this that makes you wonder if Mani Ratnam – the guy behind classics such as Nayakan, Roja and Dil Se – really penned this film
Visual Splendour Can't Conceal Narrative Stodginess
One of the movie’s only redeeming qualities is Ravi K Chandran’s camerawork. Each frame looks sumptuous and cinematographic. The interplay of light and dark, the texture of Old Delhi, the splendor of the gangster world – it’s all lovingly shot.
But even the most resplendent images cannot save an unsatisfying script. Sreekar Prasad’s editing struggles to do what it can, attempting to sew together loose ends of scenes and providing them with flow. The discomfited emotional beats and slow pace make it an arduous task, however.
You would think that AR Rahman would take the film to a higher level. And he does in some sections. “Vinveli Nayaga” is moving and great when listened to from start to finish. But when it’s crudely cut short and strewn about in scenes, it lacks punch.
Worse still, the background score tends to be jarring and mismatched. Rather than heightening tension or emotion, it yanks you out of the film. At times, it seems almost like a parody – an inadvertent spoof of a gangster movie.
A Feminist Lens: The Women Deserve Better
It’s difficult not to see how badly the women in Thug Life are treated – not only by the men in the film, but by the filmmakers as well. Jeeva and Indrani lack any kind of agency. Their interactions with Sakthivel are hardly developed. They are objectified and treated as plot devices.
It’s difficult not to see how badly the women in Thug Life are treated – not only by the men in the film, but by the filmmakers as well. Jeeva and Indrani lack any kind of agency. Their interactions with Sakthivel are hardly developed. They are objectified and treated as plot devices.
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