Kamal Haasan’s highly anticipated action spectacle Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, is creating an exceptional buzz, especially after the trailer raised audience expectations significantly. The film’s team recently engaged with the Telugu media, sharing insights and heartfelt moments.

Simbu expressed his special connection with Telugu audiences, recalling the warm response he received for his early film Manmadha. “Telugu audiences are very special to me. I’ll never forget the love I got back then. From now on, there won’t be any gap. The OG song is coming soon, and Thaman has done a fantastic job. It was a pleasure to sing for Pawan Kalyan,” he said.

Mani Ratnam reflected on his long journey with Kamal Haasan, from their iconic collaboration in Nayakan to the present Thug Life. “The first time I worked with Kamal was on Nayakan. After finishing Mouna Ragam, producer Muktha Srinivasan visited me with a video cassette of a Hindi film. He said Kamal wanted me to watch it. Initially, I thought I wasn’t the right fit for a Hindi film, but Kamal insisted I share my ideas. That conversation led to Nayakan. A similar story happened with Thug Life—Kamal called me one day and said, ‘Let’s do a movie together.’”

Kamal Haasan praised Mani Ratnam’s evolution over the years. “I was happy to work with Mani during Nayakan, and I’m equally happy to collaborate with him now. Tanikella Bharani was initially brought on to write dialogues for the Telugu version of Indrudu Chandrudu, and although he didn’t get to write, he helped us translate the dialogues. I hope he continues to write,” Kamal added.

Calling Simbu “a child of cinema,” Kamal also thanked actress Abhirami for making a comeback. He shared candid thoughts on stardom: “Honestly, I often feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, even claustrophobic with the stardom you’ve given me. But I continue to reach out to you from the heart, and most of the time, it works. That’s the spirit we all brought to this film. I promise Thug Life will be bigger than Nayakan.”

Kamal also reflected on his journey as a star, saying, “I was made a hero in Kerala, but I became a star here in Telugu cinema. This is like my birthplace as a star. Please don’t call me ‘guru’—just gurthupettukondi (remember me). Catching a thug is not easy, it took 37 years (referring to Mani Ratnam). This film is my favorite among all I’ve done. It took a long time to get out of this character.”

The event was also graced by Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Abhirami, Nasser, and Tanikella Bharani. The Telugu version of Thug Life is scheduled to release on June 5th under Sudhakar Reddy’s Sreshth Movies banner.