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Kamal Haasan: 'Thug Life' is An Apology To the Audience from Mani Ratnam and I
At the launch of 'Thug Life,' Kamal Haasan spoke about why it took him so long to reunite for a film with Mani Ratnam after 'Nayakan'
At the first launch of the upcoming gangster drama Thug Life, during which a single was released as well, Kamal Haasan apologised to audiences for making them wait over three decades for him to collaborate with his friend, director Mani Ratnam again.
“It is our mistake. After Nayakan (1987), we have kept meeting over the years to discuss idea after idea; but in the pursuit of absolute perfection, we did not manage to make anything materialise. The fault lies with us, and for that I’m sorry. Our second film together should not have taken this long. However, I’m done with the apologies now and I’m feeling so happy that Mani and I have pulled off today what we first discussed 45 years ago,” said the veteran actor.
“It is also Mani’s first film with Raj Kamal Films International, and I’m proud both as an actor and producer. Why am I so confident about Thug Life? Because I’m the biggest fan of cinema; it’s not just a business for me, it’s my life. So I know how well the project has shaped out to be,” he added.
Kamal also asked his fans to keep supporting directors like Mani Ratnam who strive to do something different and push their limits with each film. “He is an earnest filmmaker who marched ahead of everyone else years ago — and lived to tell the tale. We co-wrote the script together and I advise writers everywhere to look at collaborating with other talented people; we felt like a couple who birthed a child at the end of it. It took us an entire year to arrive at the story of Thug Life, since we discussed so many genres and possibilities. However, I can say this truly about him and his passion: since Nayakan, nothing has changed about Mani apart from the colour of his hair!”
“Mani and A.R. Rahman are both similar in that sense; they only talk about cinema all the time. There is no unnecessary gossip or chatter.. I’ve actually learnt to talk less from them,” he laughed.
The 70-year-old also admitted that Mani Ratnam’s work ethic on set constantly reminds him of his mentor, the late K. Balachander. “I have a nickname for Mani.. I call him ‘Anjara (5.30) Mani Ratnam’ because he comes to the shooting spot at that time every single morning! It’s something I’ve observed of him throughout his career, and apart from when he talks to the actors, he’s always bustling around the set after thinking all of the previous night how he needs to shoot a particular scene.”
Mani Ratnam, on his part, said that what endears him to Kamal Haasan constantly was the fact the latter loved cinema so much even today, apart from being a brilliant actor. “Somehow he manages to balance mainstream cinema and still break barriers through his work. He came to a dubbing session last evening and spent the entire day explaining this new sound technology he’d learnt about in the US; the entire team and I keep learning from him. When he acts in a film, it’s almost like 50 percent of the burden is lifted off my shoulders.. I just know that he has it under control.”
The other cast members who were present on stage, like Trisha, Silambarasan TR, Joju George and Abhirami (who is reuniting with Kamal Haasan after Virumaandi) also shared quick takes on their Thug Life experience, with the promise of much more to come from the team ahead of the film’s global release on June 5.
Kamal concluded the event by retorting to a question on why all his co-stars on stage said they were nervous to act alongside him, “See, all of us have our own fears. Why doesn’t Mani Ratnam sit and relax in between shots? It’s because of that fear. Why does Rahman keep working on his tunes until the very last date? He worries about them.. I mean, even I am scared all the time. ‘Veeram na enna nu theriyuma? Bayam illadha madhiri nadikardhu’ (Do you know what bravery is? It’s just acting like you don’t have fear),” he smiled and signed off.