Kamal Hassan and Simbu in Thug Life
Reputed filmmaker Mani Ratnam struggles to find the right balance between the demands of a mainstream action movie and a character driven drama; this results in the film never finding its feet in spite of some solid acting from Kamal Haasan and Simbu. The two try their level best to inject some life into the proceedings. Apart from the generic gangster tropes Thug Life also suffers from misogyny and cringe romantic portions featuring Kamal and Trisha
Starcast: Kamal Haasan, Simbu, Trisha, Abhirami, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Rohit Saraf, Ali Fazal and others
Genre: Action/drama
Director and writer: Mani Ratnam
Additional writer: Kamal Haasan
Producers: Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Udhayanidhi Stalin etc
Production Companies: Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies etc
Music: A R Rahman
Cinematography: Ravi K Chandran
Running time: 2 hours
Right since the disastrous run of 2010’s Raavan brand Mani Ratnam has taken a severe beating, the critical and commercial failure of the ambitious film has proved to be a major roadblock for the director who hasn’t still recovered from it. Of course, O Kadhal Kanmai with Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menon was a commercial success, though not vintage Mani Ratnam the movie was a charming romantic comedy majorly elevated by the leads. The Ponniyin Selvan movies on the other hand didn’t quite become the pan India blockbuster that Mani Ratnam was hoping to be. With Thug Life the director has reunited with Kamal Haasan, a duo which gave the classic gangster film Nayakan. A lot was expected from Thug Life given the stature of both Kamal and Mani Ratnam, however Thug Life turns out to be a reunion which nobody asked for.
Thug life primarily focuses on Rangaraya Shakti Raju (Kamal Haasan). He is a gangster set in the state of Delhi. In the initial portion Rangaraya Shakti Raju is seen rescuing a young boy Amar (Simbu) during a police shootout. He brings up the orphaned Amar as his own son. Flash forward to the present Amar is seen managing both the crime syndicate and also the family problems like setting up the marriage of Rangaraya’s daughter. An underlining of distrust is there from Rangaraya’s side given the nature of the criminal world. A particular incident leads Amar to turn against his mentor almost resulting in Rangaraya’s death. This is the story in brief.
Among the very few positives the performances of Kamal and Simbu are definitely worth mentioning. The two share a good chemistry bringing in the necessary tension and warmth. The two manage to rise above the formulaic writing. As Rangaraya Shakti Raju Kamal Haasan brings his trademark intensity. He brings in a certain heft like the scenes where the character expresses his anguish and a certain desperation. A good example of is the portion involving Abhirami the wife, a victim of memory loss due to an accident. The actor lends an emotional gravitas to the proceedings even when the writing is subpar. Simbu as the trusted aid going against his mentor is also in fine form portraying the different facets of Amar with ease. He brings in a palpable intensity specifically in the pre climax fight between the two characters.
A light moment featuring Kamal Haasan and Simbu
Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography is effective in creating the right atmospherics. The rustic action sequences like the hand-to-hand combats have been well captured by Ravi K Chandran.
A major problem with Thug Life are its women characters. The so-called romance between Kamal and Trisha is beyond cringe. There is a visible awkwardness, and Trisha eventually ends up as a shuttle cock with little to no agency. Also, the lens through which her role of a mistress has been written and performed is very problematic to say the least. She is reduced to a mostly vampish figure, a third person who has snatched away Rangaraya. Abhirami playing the wife may look like a defiant person from outside but her passive acceptance of Rangaraya’s affair and how she treats Trisha’s Indrani is a major disappointment from a celebrated director like Mani Ratnam.
Kamal Haasan and Trisha awkward romance
Apart from the misogyny and sexism Thug Life also suffers from characters who don’t serve much purpose. The best example of this is Rohit Saraf playing a typical spoil brat who does drugs. The only reason for his existence is to be thrashed by Kamal Haasan and Co. Similarly, Ali Fazal playing the elder brother of Rohit is mostly there to watch from the sidelines. For a large part of the movie, he is relegated to the background only to appear for taking advantage of the tensions between Rangaraya and Amar. Nassar too has a one note characterization as a constantly frustrated man, he is mostly seen in a sulking mood without much nuances.
Talking about the familiar tropes Thug Life majorly suffers on the account of been there and done that scenarios: whether it’s the rivalries both within and outside the crime syndicate or backstabbing from family. It’s hard to see what the legendary duo Kamal and Mani Ratnam saw in this story. The music and the background score both by A R Rahman are another major misfire.
Final word: Thug Life is a massive downfall not even matching 5 percent of the expectations. Watch it only if you are a diehard Kamal Haasan fan, for the rest re watching Nayakan would be best.
