Thug Life movie review: Kamal Haasan and Simbu shine in this contrived and emotionally hollow gangster saga by Mani Ratnam

Thug Life plot:

Mafia kingpin Ranganayaka Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) rescues a young paperboy, Amar (Silambarasan), during a shootout and raises him as his own. Years later, their empire grows, and Amar is now a crucial touch point in the network, so much so that he serves as the right hand to Sakthivel, who nominates him as head in his absence. But what happens when power dynamics shift and Amar declares himself as the new head after overthrowing Sakthivel at a brutal point?

Thug Life review:

At the very beginning of Thug Life, which begins very similar to a fairy tale format of ‘once upon a time’, we are introduced to Rangaraaya Sakthivel. He tells it is the story between him and death. We see Sakthivel go waltzing with the notion of mortality, both metaphorically and physically, through the film. But when Thug Life slips into a coma kind of state where the emotions are numb, and only actions begin to offer to spruce up the screenplay, the Mani Ratnam film staggers and becomes a test of patience.

The first twenty-odd minutes of the film, with monochromatic cinematography, is set in 1994, Old Delhi, where a police shootout takes place to capture Sakthivel and his brother Manickam (Nasser), who are the masterminds of the underbelly of the city. It is at the very same place where a young Amaran meets Sakthivel, and as the latter says, they become bound by death. 

And cut to 2016, Mani Ratnam gives us a series of events, from that of a young girl’s suicide of being cheated to the rescue of singer Indrani (Trisha) from the exploitative pockets of Mumbai. Ask if these really add up to the screenplay, and you will be met with a barrage of characters who come and go on their own tandem. Just like the city’s background, which has an old charm but a dark side, the two characters are not just black and white. Sakthivel who keeps mentioning his fondness for wife Jeeva (Abhirami) feels it is completely justified to tell ‘Madam, I am your only Adam’ to another woman whom he rescued. On the other hand, Amar does not seem to remember his father, who died in front of his eyes, but gets into revenge mode when the reality of his father's fate hits him.

In Thug Life, Mani Ratnam dilly-dallies with a lot of pawns, and there is much going on. There is an elaborate cat-and-mouse game between Sakthivel and his opponent, Sadanand, a fellow kingpin in his own ways. When you expect that the significant screen time that the antagonist has been offered plays to some level, Thug Life begins its game with the audience to test the patience. 

It looks as though the makers get too indulgent with each of the multiple characters, that just like a child who gets too bored with a toy after a while, the characters too are discarded and played around as and when needed. Unlike in Nayakan, where Mani Ratnam explored the rise and fall of a single man, and how the morality of what is good and bad is explored, Thug Life sticks to its single dimensionality. At any particular scene, you are expected to give in to the choice to make if a particular character is good or bad. There is no in between, and this rudimentary decision from the masters of cinema is heavily disappointing.

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Thug Life has a lot going on, and this is not the only problem the screenplay has. The emotional resonance is minimal, and after a while, it feels like seeing a drab film getting carried solely by excellent acting. There is an undeniable onscreen chemistry between Simbu and Kamal Haasan, who deliver performances that are noteworthy. But when the script is clearly confused and antagonists keep changing, Thug Life has very little to offer in terms of cinematic spectacle. 

It is also a bane for the script that we get to be teased with backstories of each character, say that of singer Indrani or her equation with Amaran. Say Jeeva, who seems to be fond of her husband even as he flaunts his infidelity unabashedly. While the concepts of cheating, betrayal or jealousy are by themselves deliciously rich themes to explore with cinematic liberties, Thug Life belittles the importance of coherence and emotional intelligence in exchange for dramatic visuals.

Time and again to mention, Thug Life is excellently rendered by its cast’s performances. Ashok Selvan and Aishwarya Lekshmi, who get small screen time, pull it off and justify their presence, while senior actors like Nasser and Joju George, along with Abhirami, play their parts with utmost sincerity. But Thug Life also becomes the latest victim when great performances feel empty without a solid writing to back it up.

Thug Life verdict:

Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s film come with much expectation. But now that it is out, it has come with a barrage of disappointments. With little or no emotional resonance and a directionless screenplay, Thug Life comes across as a meandering film that didn’t sit long enough to work on a solid premise.