'Ulaganayagan' Kamal Haasan will soon be seen in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, one of the most anticipated movies in Kollywood. The movie marks the Nayakan duo's reunion after three decades and has massive expectation from the industry.
This monumental deal outshines previous digital rights agreements, including Suriya's Kanguva, which fetched Rs 100 crore across all language versions, and Ajith's Good Bad Ugly, which secured Rs 95 crore. Moreover, Vijay's recent blockbuster The Greatest of All Time fetched Rs 110 crore, appears minor alongside the Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan duo.
The film is said to span across three distinct time periods, with 'Ulaganayagan' playing multiple characters. The much-anticipated movie boasts of a stellar cast, including Silambarasan, Trisha, Gautham Karthik, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, and Pankaj Tripathi in key roles. AR Rahman is composing the music, with Ravi K Chandran handling the cinematography.
As the film nears the completion of its shoot, the business deals have begun, and it's creating significant buzz within the Tamil cinema industry. Sources confirm to DH that the movie has landed a groundbreaking deal with a popular streaming giant. The streaming right for this magnum-opus has been secured by Netflix for a massive Rs 149.7 crore.
In a telephone conversation with DH, film distributor Kartik Ravivarma confirmed the news, saying, “Yes, the deal has been struck. Netflix has purchased the rights for Mani Ratnam’s masterpiece for a remarkable Rs 149.7 crore. This marks one of the highest deals for Tamil movies.”
“After Vikram, Kamal Haasan's business has experienced significant growth, while Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan series has been well-received by audiences. Their reunion generated excitement with the announcement, and as the film approaches the final stages of shooting, the business has soared and set to achieve new heights in Tamil Cinema.”
Announced on Kamal Haasan's birthday in 2023, Thug Life is an action-drama directed by Mani Ratnam, who co-wrote the screenplay with Haasan. The film is produced in collaboration with Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, and Red Giant Movies, targeting a Summer 2025 release.