Renowned actor Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated collaboration with director Mani Ratnam for the period action drama ‘Thug Life’ has hit a snag. The shooting schedule, originally set to include a foreign stint in Siberia, has been abruptly cancelled.
Reports from The Republic suggest that Kamal Haasan’s burgeoning political commitments have led to a change in plans. The actor, who recently announced his alliance with the state ruling party DMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha Parliament elections in 2024, is unable to dedicate extended periods to the film’s shooting.
Initially, after completing the first schedule in Chennai, the team was gearing up for the Siberian shoot in March. However, due to Haasan’s unavailability, the foreign leg of the shoot has been called off. The crew now faces the challenge of proceeding with the movie sans Kamal Haasan’s portions. It is speculated that the team will shoot the actor’s scenes at a later date, while the rest of the filming will continue in Tamil Nadu.
The title promo for ‘Thug Life’ has already been unveiled, showcasing Kamal Haasan as Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar. The star-studded cast also includes Trisha, Jayam Ravi, Abhirami, Nassar, Gautham Karthik, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Joju George in pivotal roles. The film’s music is composed by the legendary AR Rahman. Notably, Dulquer Salmaan was initially slated to be part of the main cast, but due to scheduling conflicts, he withdrew from the project. There are rumors that Simbu might step in to replace Dulquer Salmaan, but official announcements from the makers are still pending.
