Fans Slam Mani Ratnam's Thug Life for Falling Short of Expectations, Recall Nayakan & Thalapathi

After Thug Life underwhelms audiences, fans flood social media with nostalgic tributes to Mani Ratnam’s classics like Nayakan, Thalapathi, and Kannathil Muthamittal.

Fans recall Mani Ratnam’s classics like Nayakan and Thalapathi after Thug Life fails to impress at the box office.

Source : IMDb

For generations of film lovers, Mani Ratnam has been a name synonymous with soul-stirring cinema. His visuals became part of the pop culture lexicon,not just as timeless storytelling, but as emotional reference points. Be it Surya watching Subbulaxmi walk away in 'Dalapathi', or Karthik’s intense gaze in 'Alaipayuthey', Ratnam’s frames lived on, long after the credits rolled.

So, when his latest film Thug Life failed to meet expectations, it wasn’t just a disappointment — it felt like a personal letdown for many. Fans didn’t just critique the film. They took to social media for a collective moment of introspection, wondering whether the maestro had lost his magic or if they, perhaps, had outgrown his once-celebrated style.

Fans Turn Nostalgic, Share Iconic Mani Ratnam Moments

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with tributes to Mani Ratnam’s earlier works. One user posted scenes from Nayakan (1987), a landmark film starring Kamal Haasan, and wrote, “Look how beautifully Maniratnam crafted his own Godfather in Bombay. This cinematic masterpiece could never be recreated and will remains as the best gangster drama ever made in Indian Cinema. NAYAKAN - THE OG SAMBAVAM from Iconic duo.”

 

Forever NAYAKAN 🛐🔥
Absolute cinema! 💯
Peak Mani Ratnam 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xqYW5ZwWRI

— Anandu vijayan (@anandu__vijayan) June 5, 2025

Another shared scenes highlighting Kamal Haasan’s legendary character Velu Naicker, saying simply, “Forever NAYAKAN. Absolute cinema! Peak Mani Ratnam.”

 

Me trying to do maniratnam slander but suddenly remembering he was the one who made nayakan, thalapathy, iruvar, kannathil muthamittal,alaipayuthey 🤧😭#ThugLife pic.twitter.com/OY3IFh4pWy

— Dr.chaplin paarivel (@sirippu_buddha) June 5, 2025

A fan humorously posted a scene from Thalapathi where Prabhu stops himself from slapping Rajinikanth, captioning it: “Me trying to do maniratnam slander but suddenly remembering he was the one who made Nayakan, Thalapathy, Iruvar, Kannathil Muthamittal, Alaipayuthey.”

While Thug Life was meant to be a grand reunion between Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan after nearly four decades since Nayakan, fans felt the film didn’t live up to its emotional or cinematic promise. One user summed it up by contrasting two different Mani Ratnam moments: “One film celebrated the day it released. One film celebrated on its rerelease. Thalapathi — Mani Ratnam’s timeless classic made to last forever.”

Others yearned for the director’s early 2000s brilliance, with mentions of Kannathil Muthamittal and Guru. “What happened to this GOAT MANIRATNAM nowadays,” lamented one fan alongside a poignant scene of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Another analysed Mani’s visual downfall in detail: “In Kannathil Muthamittal climax when the lead characters have conversation. Setting has that cloudy look. In the end it starts raining. From that to this. What a downfall.”

About Thug Life

Starring Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, and Baburaj, Thug Life was one of the most anticipated films of the year. It marked a much-hyped reunion between Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan.

However, the film failed to strike a chord with critics and audiences alike. Despite the response, the conversation around Mani Ratnam’s legacy proves just how deeply he’s embedded in Indian cinematic memory — and why the disappointment stings so sharply.