Nassar reflected on Thug Life’s box office failure and how it finally found its audience on OTT.
Despite all the massive hype surrounding it, Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life received a lukewarm response when it released in cinema halls in June this year. The film marked the Tamil superstar’s reunion with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after their cult gangster classic Nayakan (1987).
Recently in a chat with Indian Express, Nassar, who essayed the role of Manickam in Thug Life, reflected on film’s debacle. He admitted that while in his four-decade long career, he has always tried to remain detached from the outcome of his films, but Thug Life was something personal.
The Anbe Sivam actor told the publication, “In my 40-year career, during which I have done about 700 movies, I have always tried to remain detached from my films (and their outcomes). Many films in which I performed well didn’t reach audiences, and such things happen. So, I maintain my detachment. However, Thug Life was something personal. Here, I was working with the team that made me popular and successful and provided a turning point in my career. On the first day on set, I was blushing. It felt like I had gone back 40 years.”
ALSO READ: The Magic Of Frames In Mani Ratnam’s Films: Our Favourite Picks
Pointing out that every member of the team had poured their heart and soul into making Thug Life, Nassar shared, “I saw Kamal sir, a professional actor, handled by another professional (Mani). It was not about friendship. Kamal sir was open to taking any decision made by Mani Ratnam.”
