Raaj Kamal Films International has announced that the highly anticipated trailer for Thug Life—a Tamil gangster action drama directed by Mani Ratnam—will release on May 17, 2025, ahead of its theatrical debut on June 5, 2025. The film stars Kamal Haasan in a commanding lead role, alongside Trisha and Silambarasan TR, with music composed by AR Rahman. With a poster bearing the haunting tagline “The reason to Live is the reason to Kill,” Thug Life promises to be a morally layered, high-stakes crime saga.
At the heart of Thug Life is the story of Rangaraya Sakthivel Naickar, a feared gangster thought to be dead, who resurfaces only to clash bitterly with his own son. The film’s narrative roots trace back to Amar Hai, a long-shelved script by Kamal Haasan, which Mani Ratnam has reimagined with a broader cinematic lens. Known for fusing social commentary with compelling drama—as he did in Nayakan (1987), which also starred Haasan—Ratnam appears poised to deliver yet another reflective, stylized exploration of crime and consequence.
The ensemble cast adds further weight to the project, with performances from Sanya Malhotra, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf, and Vaiyapuri. Set in a world where loyalty is tested and power is contested, Thug Life seeks to transcend the typical gangster genre, diving deep into generational conflict and the personal costs of violence. The trailer is expected to offer a first glimpse into this intense father-son dynamic and the gritty visual world Ratnam has constructed.
With AR Rahman’s score expected to elevate the film’s emotional and dramatic beats, Thug Life is shaping up to be one of the year’s most talked-about releases. The trailer launch will likely set the tone for what is being positioned as a prestige action drama that balances mainstream appeal with thematic depth. As Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan reunite for the first time since Nayakan, all eyes are on how this modern gangster tale will resonate with a new generation of viewers.