Thug Life Disaster: Mani Ratnam—Copycat or a Maverick?

If someone loudly asserted that Mani Ratnam attempted to emulate or mimic another filmmaker to appeal to the new-age, reel-craving, and attention-deficit moviegoers, they would likely face ridicule on social media. But, after watching what the maverick filmmaker did in Thug Life, one must ponder over what he tried to achieve with the movie.

Right from the moment when Thug Life was announced until the 5th of June, movie buffs, and especially those who are combined fans of Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan, were preparing to write lengthy posts where they would declare how Thug Life showed a new cinematic language or how the iconic Nayagan duo proved why powerful drama still works better at the cinemas than loud, nonsensical action episodes that modern-day filmmakers are feeding the audiences.

But, alas! Forget about boasting; after experiencing Thug Life's gore, these same enthusiasts have disappeared into obscurity. Any filmmaker can fail, and Mani Ratnam, alongside Kamal Haasan, had failed in the past too. However, the angst surrounding Thug Life is not due to the film's poor quality. The frustration stems from the realization that sometimes, the collaboration between two creative geniuses can result in a complete mess. That's what happened with Thug Life.

Thug Life, which is derived from Kamal Haasan's Amar Hai and was intended to be improved by Mani Ratnam, seems to have had outstanding potential but ultimately ended up a complete mess because the director tried to be someone he isn't. Action has never been Mani Ratnam's strength. Drama is. Decades and decades of audiences adored his movies just for that.

Thug Life completely disregards that. The entire second half of the movie consisted of a series of meaningless action sequences that neither advanced the story nor generated any excitement for Kamal Haasan's character, Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayagan. Kamal Haasan, in multiple interviews, mentioned that Thug Life is about the futility of violence.

Mani Ratnam's Failed Emulation of Lokesh Kanagaraj 

If this is considered the one-line motto for the film, after watching Thug Life, one would end up wondering why Kamal decided to even say this in the first place. As the film approaches its climax, neither character acknowledges that violence is futile or that peace prevails, or anything similar. They just fight and fight until one of them dies (a spoiler, yes! but it doesn't matter). This section is where audiences began to wonder: was Thug Life even directed by Mani Ratnam?

ActiEngaging drama best complements action, like Lokesh Kanagaraj's work in Vikram or Master, for example. His action sequences have a beginning, a middle, and an end. He writes action sequences in the same way that he writes drama, allowing anyone who watches his work to recognize this similarity. While watching Thug Life, one wonders, "Is Mani Ratnam trying to pull off a Lokesh Kanagaraj?"

Even if that really was the attempt, Mani Ratnam failed to deliver on that front too. Mani Ratnam's execution of the action sequences was poor, with them appearing and disappearing without any clear purpose. If using Mocobot to elevate Simbu's character is what you call the Lokesh Kanagaraj-ification of Mani Ratnam, then it's a sorry state for one of Tamil cinema's masters.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Influence on Thug Life

On the other hand, Mani Ratnam's movies were always filled with women characters who were resilient, independent, and stood for themselves in their own way. It's tough to imagine Mani Ratnam writing weak women characters, and that's what he did with Abhirami's Jeeva and Trisha's Indrani. If Sandeep Reddy Vanga received flak on the internet for writing Ranbir's character in Animal, where he defends having an extramarital affair with his wife, that's precisely what Mani Ratnam did with Kamal Haasan's character in Thug Life. Yet, there is no backlash.

When the Thug Life trailer was released, Abhirami's kiss with Kamal Haasan and their age difference remained a hotbed of discussion as the internet bashed the actor-director duo for putting that scene in the trailer. Later, Abhirami clarified that you will understand why they kept that scene in the movie once you watch it. Many people have watched the movie, and that scene hasn't had any significant impact on the proceedings.

Thug Life - Final Thoughts 

Life goes on, Thug. Life is just a movie, and yes, even Mani Ratnam can make terrible mistakes at times. But the fact remains that the once maverick filmmaker attempted to be someone that he is not and tried to prove to the audiences that he understands what they want. However, the truth is that he didn't succeed, and it's crucial for the renowned director to acknowledge that he should prioritize making films that resonate with him, rather than attempting to create something that doesn't align with his natural style.

Thug Life is a lesson on expectations for those die-hard cinema lovers to not take movies too seriously and that their intention is to keep things light-hearted and fun. That way, nobody gets hurt whenever bad movies are made.