Mani Ratnam on his reunion with Kamal Haasan after 36 years
The filmmaker further continued, “I don’t think big stars have real egos when they are on a project. If you are clear and know what you want, they are too happy to have somebody make the decisions.
CHENNAI: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam are joining hands again after 36 years for Thug Life. Recently, Mani Ratnam opened up on why it took 36 years to collaborate with Ulaganayagan. Thug Life marks Kamal Haasan’s 234th film.
Mani Ratnam said, “It is tough when you have an actor of that capability, who has done several things. So unless you have something solid, do not go to him just because you have done it before. Hopefully, we would be able to bring some kind of character back on screen.” Talking about the reunion, he further added, “Hopefully, we would be able to bring some kind of character back on screen.”
The filmmaker further continued, “I don’t think big stars have real egos when they are on a project. If you are clear and know what you want, they are too happy to have somebody make the decisions. It becomes a mutual thing. Sometimes, scripts demand new faces and that’s why you go for new faces. I do it only because it is right for my film not because I want to introduce somebody.”
With Thug Life, Mani Ratnam has pulled off a casting coup yet again after the Ponniyin Selvan franchise. Kamal Haasan, Jayam Ravi, Trisha Krishnan, Nasser, Abhirami, Dulquer Salmaan, Gautham Karthik and Joju George form the cast. The story revolves around a gangster from Kayalpattinam named Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar, played by Kamal Haasan.
The shoot will go on floors in Chennai on January 18 at a college in Chetpet. AR Rahman is the film’s composer while Ravi K Chandran will operate the camera. The project also marks the collaboration of Kamal, Mani and Nasser-- 36 years after Nayakan. Sources in the industry tell us that the film has already been acquired by Netflix.