Trisha Krishnan on Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life with Kamal Haasan: ‘Knew they wouldn’t waste me in the film’

Kamal Haasan, Trisha Krishna and Mani Ratnam

When Mani Ratnam offers you a film headlined by Kamal Haasan, you need to know nothing more to come aboard, shares South star Trisha Krishnan, as we sit down in Chennai to chat about the gangster action drama, Thug Life. "This combination was more than enough for me to be part of it," she adds. It's not just their genius as artistes but also her faith in the legends to utilise her well - despite a huge ensemble cast - that made her confident about the film.

"Kamal sir and Mani sir are [greats]. I always knew they wouldn't ever waste [me] in a film, irrespective of the [character I] play in it. Being in the best of hands, [I was sure] Mani sir would fine-tune me into becoming the character. Kamal sir always makes sure that his co-actors have their space in the film. He is one of the most generous co-actors I have worked with," she smiles.

Ratnam and Haasan have co-written and co-produced the film, which also stars Silambarasan TR and Abhirami. When asked what a set with the filmmaker feels like, Krishnan quips, "A very early morning!" The actor explains that before the film went on floors, the director-actor duo had meticulously planned everything, with tons of rehearsals to ensure that the shoot progressed smoothly. "There has never been a day we did not finish what was planned. They had done a lot of homework
before coming to the set. It was a structured set, despite the chaos."

With the veterans

Thug Life, set to release next month, marks Trisha Krishnan's fourth film with Mani Ratnam after Aaytha Ezhuthu (2004), Yuva (2004), and Ponniyin Selvan (2022-23). And It is her third venture with Kamal Haasan after Manmadan Ambu (2010) and Thoongaa Vanam (2015).