Thug Life is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language gangster action drama film directed by Mani Ratnam, who co-wrote the script with Kamal Haasan. Produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Turmeric Media and Madras Talkies, the film stars Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan in the lead roles alongside Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy and Tanikella Bharani. It marks the reunion of Haasan and Ratnam after their previous collaboration, Nayakan (1987). The film follows Rangaraaya Sakthivel, a feared mafia kingpin in New Delhi, who seeks redemption and revenge after being betrayed by his brother, Rangaraaya Manickam, and the one he raised, Amaran.

The film was officially announced in November 2022 under the tentative title KH234, as it is Haasan's 234th film as a lead actor, and the official title was revealed a year later. Principal photography took place from January to late 2024 across Chennai, Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, New Delhi, and parts of North India. The film has music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography handled by Ravi K. Chandran, and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.

Thug Life was released theatrically on 5 June 2025 in India by Red Giant Movies in standard, IMAX and EPIQ formats to mixed response from critics, who praised the performances of Kamal Hassan and Silambarasan, the cinematography and the staging, but criticized the second half's predictable screenplay. Though the movie underperformed, it became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2025.

Plot In 1994, in Old Delhi, gang leader Sadanand Yadav meets with rival kingpins Rangaraaya Manickavel "Manickam" and his younger brother and co-leader Rangaraaya Sakthivel to discuss a truce after years of rivalry. However, unbeknownst to Manickam and Sakthivel, Sadanand later breaks the truce by orchestrating a shootout involving the Delhi Police. The ensuing tussle results in the death of a newspaper deliveryman caught in the crossfire when he is unknowingly shot by Manickam, leaving his children, Amaran and Chandra, separated. Sakthivel believes that Amaran shielded him during the chaos. Moved by the incident after learning that Amaran's father was the newspaper deliveryman, Sakthivel adopts him and raises him as his own son, while promising Amaran that he will find Chandra.

In 2016, Manickam's daughter Shanthi commits suicide after being cheated by Sadanand's nephew Ranvijay. In retaliation, Amaran captures Ranvijay, and Sakthivel kills him. As a result, Sakthivel is imprisoned, leaving Amaran in charge of the empire. Later, Manickam and Amaran meet Sadanand, who proposes a peace deal: he will enter politics, and Amaran can take over his business territories. Though initially displeased, Sakthivel eventually accepts the arrangement and is released from prison. Upon his return, he approves of his daughter Mangai's relationship with Naaga, the son of his henchman Sivaguru, and arranges their wedding. During the ceremony, he observes the shifting dynamics of his empire, with everyone now treating Amaran as the leader, concerning him because he thinks Amaran might overthrow him.

While traveling with his gang, Sakthivel narrowly survives an assassination attempt by henchmen of Deepak, Ranvijay's older brother, who swears to avenge his brother's death by finishing Sakthivel, despite Sadanand's reluctance due to their deal. Sakthivel is admitted to the hospital, where he meets Inspector Jai Royappa, who asks him about the gang war. After the incident, Sakthivel begins to suspect Amaran because of his absence during the attack, and eventually confronts him, deeply unsettling Amaran. Sakthivel's wife Jeeva tells him that Amaran was with them at that time and Mangai was pregnant, but she ended up miscarrying. Meanwhile, Manickam and others in the gang — Anburaj, Kahlua, and Pathrose — are wary of Sakthivel's constant suspicions of them and his interference in the gang's operations, and decide to overthrow him. They manipulate Amaran by falsely claiming that Sakthivel was responsible for his father's death during the 1994 shootout, convincing him to join their plot. Seeking peace, Sakthivel travels to Hilsa, Nepal on the way to Mount Kailash with them, unaware that another assassination attempt awaits him. Amaran joins the conspirators and throws Sakthivel off a cliff after shooting him, believing he has killed him. Upon returning, the gang declares Amaran as the new Sakthivel. However, it is revealed that Sakthivel has survived the fall and heads towards a nearby Buddhist monastery, narrowly escaping an avalanche.

Two years later, Sakthivel returns to Delhi, cold, calculated, and vengeful, having learnt martial arts from Nepali monks to aid in his quest. He learns that Jeeva has suffered traumatic memory loss due to the hysteria of learning about his supposed death and the subsequent manhandling by Manickam. Sakthivel then travels to Tiruchendur, where Jeeva and Mangai now live, and is distraught upon seeing his wife in a pitiable condition — she cannot remember who he is — prompting him to avenge his betrayers. He then proceeds to eliminate them one by one: he kills Anburaj by pushing his head against a helicopter's rotors, Pathrose by stabbing and pushing him in front of a running train, and Manickam by shooting and pushing him off a bridge in Goa. Only Amaran and Kahlua remain; Kahlua surrenders to Sakthivel and acts as his spy to track Amaran. However, Amaran soon discovers this and regrettably kills him. Sakthivel meets Jai, the son of Samuel Royappa from the 1994 shootout, and makes a deal with him: Sakthivel will give up his important political and business contacts to Jai to expose systemic corruption, while Jai will let Sakthivel kill Amaran for revenge. Sakthivel later contacts Indrani, his mistress, who is now in a one-sided relationship with Amaran. However, Deepak unknowingly kills her in a controlled bomb blast meant for Amaran, devastating both Sakthivel and Amaran. Whilst trying to save her, Sakthivel is injured when the ceiling collapses on him. He is rescued by Jai and taken to his house.

During his recovery, Sakthivel is treated by Dr. Anna, who is revealed to be Amaran's long-lost sister, Chandra — the one separated during the 1994 shootout. Sakthivel summons Amaran to the location of the original shootout. There, the two engage in a one-on-one fight. As the battle ends, Sakthivel convinces Amaran that he was not responsible for his father's death, making Amaran realise his mistake. Chandra arrives at the scene with Jai after having learnt of her long-lost brother's whereabouts from Sakthivel. Just when Amaran and Chandra are about to reunite, Deepak intervenes and fires a shot at Amaran. Sakthivel shields him, but the bullet fatally wounds Amaran. Sakthivel kills Deepak and tries to revive Amaran, but he dies from his injuries, leaving Sakthivel and Chandra devastated. Sakthivel later reflects on how death has haunted him throughout his life — taking his mother during childbirth, his brother through betrayal, and now Amaran, who was like a son to him.

Years later, Sakthivel, now a farmer, has given up his gangster life and lives peacefully with Jeeva (who still does not recognise him), Mangai, and others in a village with their young grandson, also named Sakthivel. During the end credits, it is shown that Jai has successfully arrested those engaging in corruption, based on information provided by Sakthivel.

Cast

Production Development

In late 2002, Kamal Haasan unveiled plans for a film project titled Moo, which he intended to co-direct alongside filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The screenplay was to explore the intricacies of the Rashomon effect, presenting audiences with three distinct interpretations of a single incident. However, Ratnam opted out of the project, citing his commitments to Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), which used a similar narrative device. Undeterred by Ratnam's departure, Haasan proceeded with the concept, resulting in the creation of Virumaandi (2004). This film, centred on the interrogation of two prison inmates, retained the thematic essence of Moo. Following a decade, in late 2012, Hollywood producer Barrie M. Osborne had approached to make Moo into an English film. The actor announced the project in February 2013, but it was later shelved.

Haasan, who did a voice-over for Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: I in 2022, announced on 6 November that he would work with Ratnam again on a project after the Ponniyin Selvan film series. The project was funded by their companies—Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies—and Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies, which also co-produced Haasan's Indian 2 (2024). Tentatively titled Kamal Haasan 234, it marks a full-fledged reunion of the actor and director after 37 years since the release of their cult film Nayakan (1987). Haasan stated that they were taking time with the development and pre-production because he and Ratnam want to make the film as strong as Nayakan. Stunt choreography duo Anbariv, who became involved in the project in October 2023, stated that the film would be an action film, and a few days later, it was touted as a gangster action drama. The film's official title, Thug Life, was announced on 6 November 2023, the eve of Haasan's birthday. It was the first instance where a Ratnam film has been titled in English; his previous ventures were titled in regional languages.

Made on a production budget of , with marketing costs valued at , Kamal and Ratnam decided to take the revenue sharing model, as they were the producers and benefit the production. Speaking to Anupama Chopra, Haasan stated that the film was based on an original script he wrote, which was the shelved project Amar Hain. The title was a pun, where the principal character Amar, who was believed to be dead is not dead, referencing the trailer of Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry (1955). He originally wrote the basic story line and characters, while Ratnam took it and developed it further. Haasan further suggested the title, Thug Life, inspired by American rapper Tupac Shakur, which Ratnam was impressed and was the official title for the film.

Pre-production

Ratnam stated that the reason for why it took so long to collaborate, was that they did not find a suitable script for Haasan for years until they recently found one which he co-wrote along with Haasan. After Ponniyin Selvan: II released in 2023, Ratnam left to Kodaikanal to write the final script. It took four months for the writing and the pre-production. A muhurat puja was held on 27 October 2023 at the headquarters of Raaj Kamal Films International in Chennai. By then, the team began shooting for the promotional teaser, which was completed within three days. The teaser was released on 6 November 2023.

In mid-September 2023, Ravi K. Chandran was announced as cinematographer, marking his fourth film with Ratnam after Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Aayutha Ezhuthu and Yuva (2004) and second with Haasan after the unfinished film Marudhanayagam. A. R. Rahman would score the music, in his eighteenth consecutive film with the director. He further retained his norm technicians including editor A. Sreekar Prasad, production designer Sharmishta Roy and publicity designer Gopi Prasannaa. Amritha Ram would style Haasan along with his regular costume designers Eka Lakhani and makeup artist Ranjith Ambady. Chintu Mohapatra and S. Barani were appointed as the executive producers of the film by the production house.

Casting