Mani Ratnam breaks silence on Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life box office failure: 'It was never...'

Headlined by Kamal Haasan and helmed by Mani Ratnam, the gangster drama Thug Life was released in the cinemas on June 5. One of the most awaited films since its announcement, the film failed to impress the audiences and critics due to its weak screenplay, predictable storyline, uninspired writing, and lack of emotional depth. 

Now, in his latest interview, the multiple National Award-winning filmmaker, who has made multiple commercially and critically acclaimed films such as Dil Se, Mouna Ragam, Thalapathi, Roja, Guru, O Kadhal Kanmani, and Iruvar among others, has finally broken his silence on Thug Life's box office failure.

Mani Ratnam on Thug Life box office failure

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mani Ratnam said, "For those who were expecting another Nayakan from the two of us, all I can say is we are sorry. It was never our intention to go back. Why should we? We wanted to do something completely different. I think more than over-expectation, it was another expectation. The audience expected something far removed from what we delivered."

Kamal Haasan to take break after shocking failure of Thug Life

While Mani Ratnam has started working on his next project, Kamal Haasan has decided to take a break from cinema and politics. A source close to the actor told the portal, "The failure of Thug Life is a big blow for Kamal Haasan. He truly thought Mani and he were recreating something extraordinary. The immediate rejection on release shocked both of them. Kamal Haasan doesn’t plan to sign on anything for a while." The Tamil superstar would not shift his attention towards politics as the source also added, "Kamal Haasan is taking a break from public life at the moment. His next move is not decided."

Thug Life filed to recreate Nayakan magic

Thug Life marked the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after nearly four decades, following their legendary 1987 collaboration Nayakan, considered a milestone in Indian cinema. The classic was loosely based on the life of the Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar and the iconic 1972 American film The Godfather.

Apart from Kamal Haasan, the 2025 release also featured Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Nasser, Joju George, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf in pivotal roles. The film's soundtrack was composed by AR Rahman in his third collaboration with Haasan and nineteenth with Ratnam.

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