Mani Ratnam asked STR to choke Kamal Haasan ‘harder’ during Thug Life shoot; 70-year-old actor scolded him for being too rough: ‘I was very confused’

Sharing his experience, he said, “I was confused wondering if I pressed too hard or if he was performing. If I loosened the grip, Mani sir would scold me. If I continued and it was actually hurting him, Kamal Haasan would scold me. I was very confused, but managed to finish the shot somehow.”

Thug Life marks the reunion of two legends — actor Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam — after a gap of 38 years. The duo last worked together on the iconic 1987 film Nayakan. In a recent interview with ANI, Mani Ratnam got candid about working again with the Chachi 420 actor. He shared that since Haasan is also a writer, their collaboration becomes more creative and fluid.

He said, “He (Kamal Haasan) is also a writer. So, he takes half the blame or half the credit.” “But it’s nice… You can collaborate not just on the making but on the thought process itself, on what the content is and how it can be developed and how it can be finished. The whole process becomes easy. As a director, it’s a pleasure when you have an actor who’s very good. Now, if you have an actor who also writes with you, it’s even easier.”

Thug Life also stars Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf, and Baburaj. The film’s music is composed by AR Rahman, with cinematography by Ravi K Chandran. With a reported budget of Rs 300 crore, the film is slated for a theatrical release on June 5.