Film : Thug Life

Cast : Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami

Director: Mani Ratnam

Rating : 2 Moons

Mani Ratnam's Thug Life is finally here. Originally made in Telugu, the film has also been released in Hindi. Thug Life is a gangster drama that revolves around a gangster named Shakthivel, played by Kamal Haasan. The story begins with the murder of a newspaperman by Shakthivel's gang. Shakthivel later adopts the slain journalist's son, while his daughter gets lost. The boy grows up to become a part of the gang. As the story progresses, new enemies enter and the story takes a turn.

Kamal Haasan's acting is the biggest strength of the film. His dominance is clearly visible in every frame. He has done tremendous action and his presence takes the film to a new level. The acting of the rest of the actors in the film is also fine and the entry of the characters has been presented in a stylish manner. The first half is tight, but the second half makes the story cumbersome.

Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam have written the script of the film together, but it is surprising that such a weak story has come in the name of only these two. It is clearly felt that the entire focus was on style, look and cinematography, while the story was not given that much importance. Mani Ratnam has definitely shown his grip in direction, but the weakness of the script pulls the film back.

The length of the film is also a big problem. At many places the film seems stretched and the attention of the audience is diverted. When a veteran pair like Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan come together on a project, expectations are sky high. The trailer also created a lot of hype style, swag, action and grand presentation were promised, but the most important thing story turned out to be weak.