When Kamal Haasan stepped up to the microphone at the Thug Life press meet in Chennai, it marked more than just the launch event for the film’s first single. It was a confluence of cinematic legacies – Kamal himself, director Mani Ratnam, and composer A.R. Rahman sharing a stage for their first collaborative venture as a trio. Addressing the assembled press and dignitaries, Kamal delivered a speech that offered insights not just into the film, but into his enduring relationship with his collaborators, his philosophy on cinema, and the crucial role of the audience.
He began by acknowledging the diverse journalist assembled from all over the country, making a conscious choice about language that subtly underscored the day’s themes. “My dear people…” he started, before pausing. “I’ll say this in Tamil only… It won’t be good if I translate it into English…Uyire Urave (Oh life, oh relation)” before switching over to “the link language of India, English.” Responding instantly to a shout of “Politics sir!”, he clarified, “No, this is not politics at all. No… This is the reality of Tamil Nadu. That’s why I’m saying this. Virundhombal (Hospitality) is a custom for Tamilians, a habit. We have been doing this for 2000 years.”
The reunion with Mani Ratnam after a 37-year gap since Nayakan was, naturally, a focal point. Kamal spoke candidly about the passage of time and the many unrealized dreams discussed over decades. “When we met, whatever we spoke of… parked motorcycles on Eldams Road, we used to sit on them and talk of those things… we have done about 25% of what we spoke of,” he reflected. “Nayakan was one, this is another. We have a long way to go.”
He took ownership of the long interval between their collaborations. “The reason we didn’t get together all this time, the mistake is with us,” he admitted frankly. Why now? Kamal turned the impetus towards the audience. “The reason why we are together now is because of you!” he stated, acknowledging the public anticipation that finally outweighed industry calculations. He described how distributors might analyze potential combinations with notebooks and figures, but ultimately, “if a verdict comes from the people, then everyone – exhibitors, distributors – will bow their heads to it. That’s how new stars are formed.” He referenced the rise of co-star Silambarasan TR, recalling conversations with Rajinikanth years ago, marveling at how quickly STR’s posters occupied the spaces once dominated by their own. The audience’s sustained support, he implied, was the undeniable force that brought this collaboration to fruition. “This film is our offering, a peace offering,” he declared, positioning Thug Life as both a creative endeavor and perhaps a reconciliation for the long wait.
Kamal shared affectionate anecdotes about Mani Ratnam, revealing a working relationship built on deep respect and playful understanding. He recounted nicknaming Mani Ratnam “Anjara Mani Ratnam” (Five-thirty Mani Ratnam). “It was given in anger, but I can say it here,” he chuckled. “He’ll arrive and be seated at 5:30 AM sharp!” This dedication to starting work in the auspicious early hours, the Brahma Muhurta, has been Ratnam’s signature since Nayakan, Kamal revealed. “You can only wake up that early without an alarm if you’ve been thinking about it all night!” This relentless focus, Kamal noted, reminded him profoundly of his own mentor, the legendary K. Balachander. “He (Mani Ratnam) knows how big a compliment that is. Because deep inside him, applause must be ringing.”
He also touched upon the unique dynamic of working with both Mani Ratnam and A.R. Rahman, particularly highlighting an instance of rapid creation for the single “Jinguchaa,” where Kamal penned lyrics that Rahman reportedly composed and recorded within two hours. The joy, he emphasized, was in the collaborative process itself, “sitting with them,” rather than any competitive drive. He even humorously suggested the nonsensical title “Jinguchaa” was a strategic move to bypass language barriers – “That is our three-language policy!” – before expressing a genuine desire for their work, like Rahman’s music, to transcend borders, reaching markets like China without the need for subtitles.
Interspersed with these reflections were moments of characteristic humour directed at his co-stars. “These two heroines,” he lamented playfully, gesturing towards Trisha and Abhirami, “not even once in this film, looked at me and said ‘I love you’!” The laughter grew as he revealed the exception: “The only person who looked at me and said ‘I love you’ was Joju George! Whenever he sees me, ‘I love you, sir!’ He doesn’t even say Good Morning!”
Kamal framed his long career as a continuous process of education within the cinematic medium itself. “We all came up and learned in cinema,” he said, including STR in this reflection. “After that, where was the time to learn languages like this… or to do calculations…? We ourselves are surprised where the time went! We grew up in cinema.” He stressed the importance of constant learning and, significantly, unlearning. “The tools are getting sharper and sharper. I am learning every day, and unlearning every day. The difficult part is the unlearning part.”
His confidence in Thug Life stemmed not from commercial prediction, but from his perspective as a lifelong cinephile. “Don’t have doubts like ‘Will this film run well?’ It will run. We just have to see how well,” he stated firmly. “What’s with that confidence? Don’t we know? We are huge fans of cinema! Do you (distributors) know more than us, who only do business? We are the ones who watch cinema!” He assured the audience that the film, while offering expected elements, would present them “in a different way,” resisting the trap of repetition. “The shirt we bought for this Diwali, we are not going to wear for the next Diwali, are we? We are also slaves to that habit. Can we keep making the same film we already made?”
Ultimately, Kamal’s address painted Thug Life as a project born from passion, mutual respect, and a deep-seated love for the art form, created for an audience equally invested. “This is the kind of cinema I would like to see,” he concluded. “And I am glad that I got to produce it, and act in it… Only with love will the child called ‘cinema’ flourish.”
Thug Life will release in theaters worldwide on June 5th.