Film Review: Thug Life

Banner: Madras Talkies, Raaj Kamal Films International, Red Giant MoviesGenre: Gangster / Action DramaCensor: UA

Story & Screenplay

Thug Life revolves around the world of gangsters and underworld dons, intertwined with family drama. Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan have penned a story that is highly routine, offering nothing new to viewers familiar with gangster films. The screenplay is predictable, bogged down by excessive characters and backstories, making it difficult for the Hindi-speaking audience to connect with most roles. Long, drawn-out sequences and a lack of light moments make the narrative tension-heavy and tedious. Sajeev Sarathie’s dialogues are conventional, failing to elevate the drama.

Performances

• Kamal Haasan excels as Rangaraaya Sakthivel Naicker, though his dominance makes the film monotonous at times.

• Trisha Krishnan looks beautiful and performs well as Indrani but has limited scope.

• T.R. Silambarasan is superb as Amar.

• Abhirami portrays Sakthivel’s wife, Jeeva, with dignity.

• Nassar impresses as Rangaraaya Manickam Naicker.

• Mahesh Manjrekar has impactful moments as Don Sadanand.

• Aishwarya Lekshmi is convincing as Anna/Chandra.

• Ashok Selvan is okay as police officer Jai Royappa.

• Sanjana Krishnamoorthy and Rohit Saraf leave a mark in their respective roles.

• Ali Fazal, Joju George, Tanikella Bharani, and others provide adequate support.

• Sanya Malhotra shines in a special song-dance appearance.

Direction & Technical Aspects

• Mani Ratnam’s direction is competent; technically excellent, with some directorial touches standing out. Yet, the overall narration struggles to retain audience engagement.

• A.R. Rahman’s music is largely ordinary, with lyrics by Mehboob, Shuba, Prashanth Venkat, and M.C. Heam being average.

• Song picturisations by Kruti Mahesh are so-so. Background music impresses occasionally.

• Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is of a high standard.

• Action and stunt sequences by Anbariv are thrilling.

• Production design by Sharmishtha Roy is good.

• A. Sreekar Prasad’s editing could have been sharper.

• Dubbing is handled very well.

Final Verdict

Thug Life is a dull gangster drama. Despite technical finesse and strong performances from select actors, the predictable story, overlong sequences, and lack of emotional engagement make it a film unlikely to leave an impact at the box office.

Box Office: Expected to underperform.