Thug Life starring Kamal Haasan in the lead is an upcoming Mani Ratnam movie that releases in theaters on June 5, 2025. The movie's promotions kickstarted in Chennai on Friday morning, with a promotional press meet.

Highlights from the Thug Life press meet, which happened in the presence of media and Thug Life cast and crew, Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman, Silambarasan TR, Trisha, Ashok Selvan, Abhirami, Joju George, cinematographer Ravi K Chandran, and others:

• It was officially announced that the Thug Life audio launch date is May 16, 2025. Thug Life first single Jinguchaa is a wedding anthem with lyrics by Kamal Haasan, and Vaishali Samant, Shakthisree Gopalan, Adhitya R K at the vocals. Jinguchaa song features Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR and Sanya Malhotra. 

• In 2022, Ponniyin Selvan: I famously broke the box-office jinx for non-Kannada movies in Karnataka, by not just demanding a wide release but collecting a huge gross, and retaining full screens for multiple weeks. This was acknowledged by Thug Life Karnataka distributor, who said that both Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan (2022-23) movies, and Kamal Haasan's Vikram (2022) did extremely well in the region, and he expects the same for Thug Life too. 

• Malayalam actor Joju George: "Every artist’s dream is to work with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan. So this is a dream come true. It’s a blessing to be part of the team. Excited to see this, just like all of you."

• Actor Ashok Selvan: "The biggest reason to be a part of ‘Thug Life’ was to be with all of these legends. I grew up watching these people... In all the interviews, I have mentioned how I worship Kamal sir. I kept pinching myself if this was for real. I request that you give me one more film. I went to Singapore for Rahman sir’s concert, and it was just awesome. I got the opportunity to observe how these legends work..it was a huge opportunity for me.”

• Actress Abhirami on reuniting with her Virumaandi (2004) co-star Kamal Haasan: "I started acting when I was 11, but even before that, I’ve watched Kamal Haasan sir’s films. I’m still pinching myself to see if this is true or a dream...Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran is a genius...When I see Trisha and Silambarasan TR (STR) on the same stage, I am tempted to call them Karthik and Jessie (their character names from the 2010 Gautham Vasudev Menon movie Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa).”

• Trisha: "Everyone keeps asking when STR and I will reunite after 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'; you will see a bit of that magic here...I am happy to be sharing the screen with you all. You will see more of us in the upcoming months.”
  

• Silambarasan TR: 

"I am very happy to be a part of this film. As I have said before, Kamal Haasan sir is my on-screen hero. All these people here, I watch and wonder if I am really part of this film. It feels surreal. While shooting, it was difficult to perform because even during ‘Chekka Chivantha Vaanam' (a 2018 Mani Ratnam movie Silambarasan was part of), it was a bit tough but I learnt how to act under him (Mani Ratnam).

 

Usually, Mani sir and Kamal sir would be talking on set, and I’d be in between, not knowing what to do. Ever since I was a child actor, I have grown up seeing Kamal sir’s films. Both Kamal sir and Mani sir took care of me and supported me. He (Kamal Haasan) has given me a space next to him, which means a lot.

 

I am happy to be reuniting with Trisha in a film that is so drastically different from ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'."

• AR Rahman: "I think Kamal sir has done everything possible in his career. While I am scoring for each and every scene of Thug Life, it’s like he’s looking at me and asking what I’ll do...this is a reunion between Mani Ratnam and Kamal after the iconic ‘Nayakan,’ but it is very different from ‘Nayakan’...I didn’t feel that pressure. The film is quite forward-thinking, has today’s sound quality, yet has the magic of ‘Nayakan.’"

• Mani Ratnam: “It’s not that Kamal Haasan’s a brilliant actor, it’s the fact that he loves cinema. I admire how he balances mainstream cinema with experimental cinema. Just yesterday, he was speaking about something new he had learnt in the US. When he’s acting, half the burden of the director is reduced.”
  

• Kamal Haasan: 

"Many of the journalist friends from all around India are here. So I's like to speak in English. We always wanted to make movies for India. In my opinion, (Steven Speilberg's) ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998) is also our movie. It doesn’t matter the language.

 

Mani Ratnam and I used to sit in Eldams Road and speak about cinema. We dream big, and then we are constricted by the market and budget. All these years, in the quest for wanting to do good (movies), we ended up not doing much together. The mistake is ours. Thug Life is our peace offering. The reason we’re now back together is you (audience).

 

Rajinikanth and I used to see Silambarasan's father TR’s poster and wonder how this actor replaced our banners in just one year. Simbu’s father had so much affection for me. If something happens to me, he would come, hug and cry. Silambarasan TR is twice as affectionate as his father.

I used to call Mani as ‘Anjara Mani Ratnam' (Five and a half Mani Ratnam) because every day of shoot, he arrives at 5: 30 AM, he has been the same since Nayakan. In fact, he reminds me of K Balachander and that’s a big compliment. 

 

The heroines in this film never said ‘I love you’ in this film. However, every day, during the shoot, the only person who used to say ‘I love you’ was Joju (George). No hi, bye, straight 'I love you' only whenever he sees me. 

 

Revealing that he watched Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023) with AR Rahman in LA, Kamal Haasan said, “We then went to the cinema museum. What I learn from these two-Mani Ratnam and Rahman-is not to talk much. But I don’t think I’m implementing that (said in jest).

 

Veeram na enna nu theriyuma? Bayam illadha madhiri nadikardhu. (Do you know what bravery is? It is to act as is one is fearless) Everyone has their own fears. Why doesn’t Mani Ratnam sit and relax in between shots? It’s because of that fear. Why does Rahman keep working on his tunes? His fear that it should come out well,"