KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Prominent South Indian actor Kamal Haasan is confident that his co-star Silambarasan — better known as Simbu or STR — is poised for greater prospects after his stellar performance in their upcoming Tamil film, Thug Life.
The Nayakan star said his production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, had already signed Simbu for a film but postponed the production to make way for him to join Thug Life.
“Since it was a pivotal role, we could not just let anyone helm it.
“Three people thought of casting Simbu: the director Mani Ratnam, I, and our business partners. Other industry people also agreed that Simbu was a fantastic choice for the role.
“From my experience, actors who land pivotal roles like this are headed towards becoming bigger stars. And, STR has got that opportunity,” he told Malaysian reporters during a press conference at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, here, yesterday.
Thug Life marks the sweet reunion of Kamal and Mani — the two towering figures in modern Tamil cinema — after 38 years since the release of their 1987 cult classic gangster film Nayakan.
Kamal Haasan waves at hundreds of Malaysian fans during a meet-and-greet session to promote his upcoming film ‘Thug Life at MyTown shopping centre yesterday. — Picture by Sayuti Zanudin
Their second collaboration is also set to showcase a high-octane gangster showdown, which sees Kamal and Simbu wrestling for power to rule a lawless criminal underworld.
Thug Life is slated for theatrical release on June 5 by DMY Creation.
Kamal and Simbu are also sharing the screen for the first time in Thug Life.
Kamal said the film was named Thug Life — a term popularised by American rapper Tupac Shakur — to resonate with the Gen Z audience and with the overall plot about the life of thugs.
Since Thug Life came about after Mani refined a script originally penned by Kamal many years ago, his fans are harbouring high hopes to see his unrealised projects, such as Marudhanayagam to finally arrive on the silver screens.
Kamal also expressed the same optimism.
“So far, we have only shot for 30 minutes. Even if you go by American movie standards, we need to shoot for at least another one and a half hours, or even two hours, since Marudhanayagam is a long film.
“But, I think the factors required for us to revive the project are coming together,” he said.
Leading Tamil actress Trisha Krishnan thanked her Malaysian well-wishers and asked them not to miss the Thug Life premiere on June 5. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin.
Later, at around 7pm, hundreds of eager fans cheered on as Kamal and leading Tamil actress Trisha Krishnan — the female lead in Thug Life — attended a meet and greet session organised by the film’s Malaysian distributor DMY Creations at MyTown Shopping Centre.
Recollecting his first visit to Malaysia at the age of 21, Kamal said the overwhelming love from his Malaysian fans inspired him to continue scaling greater heights.
“Even if you didn’t like one or two of my films, I trust that Thug Life will compensate for that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trisha thanked her well-wishers in Malaysia, describing their love towards Indian actors and cinema as “so pure.”
“I hope you all like the role I’ve done (in Thug Life) because it is a very different role.
“So, please watch it with an open-mind,” she said, welcoming fans to share their feedbacks on her performance via social media.
While the letdown was visible among Simbu fans who eagerly waited to see him at the event, the fanfare continued as fans copied his peppy dance moves while grooving to his iconic hit songs.
DMY Creation is a major film distribution company in Malaysia, particularly known for distributing Hindi and Tamil films.
The company, founded by Datuk Mohamed Yusoff, is also involved in bridging cultures through entertainment, fostering connections between Malaysian and Indian film industries.
