Thug Life

However, apart from Manikkam, the others don’t get a semblance of a reason to turn against Sakthivel, except for the simple thing called plot convenience. The same holds good for even Amar, and all of them come across as all brawn and no brain. The entire film is filled with men who don’t think at all. Right from the criminals to the police officers, every single principal character in Thug Life is just daft. This can also be seen as an extension of the writing, trying to tell us the futility of violence and revenge. This can be seen as a deliberate attempt not to glorify this bunch of gangsters. None of the gangsters of Thug Life come out as people who are winners in life or people worth emulating.

Thug Life has many shades of Nayakan especially in the first half where we see the introduction of various characters in the gangster drama. In the first half Mani Ratnam crafts the character of Shaktivel and the world around him with precision using symbolism, other characters and interesting set pieces. Amar’s story and character are finely etched out, and their relationship is established subtly and strongly. The interval provides the major turning point but unfortunately, everything unravels rather rapidly in the second half turning into an incoherent spectacle. What plagues the film is the the ‘old wine in old bottle’ screenplay which loses steam mid-way incorporating far too many unnecessary characters, meandering through various places with glaring loopholes and quite a few insipid dialogues. The movie has emotions, intense action and some romance but the plot is thin and execution was paramount to making this flick highly engaging. And that’s where it falters.

While the film did justice in offering a glimpse into the lives of these thugs, it wasn’t long-standing in the larger scheme of things. What makes for a truly great gangster story? It’s not just the violent clashes between rival gangs – it’s the high-stakes drama that cuts through it all. The first half of ‘Thug Life’ had all of it. Be it the camaraderie between Sakthivel and Amar, Buck’s small-yet-solid grey-shaded character, Manikkam’s jealousy or Pathros (Joju George)’s yearning – each character had their own arc, making the set-up promising. You know this gang is not going to stick together. It’s in the details that make them betray the other. ‘Thug Life’ showcases that and keeps it engaging pre-interval.