Netflix to release Thug Life as a 9-part Web Series

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Ace Director Mani Ratnam and septuagenarian actor, the multifaceted Kamal Hassan have joined hands after 31 years in their latest outing Thug Life. Co-produced by both personalities themselves, the film was released at over 1,000 screens in India and worldwide, amidst a huge publicity undertaken by the crew over the last fortnight.

Kamal Hassan, Mani Ratnam and the lead actresses Trisha and Abirami, along with Simbu alias Atman TR Silambarasan travelled extensively across the southern states, Mumbai and even to Dubai to promote the film, while they also gave a lot of interviews to mainstream and social media.


Songs by AR Rahman, who comes together with Kamal Hassan after 25 years (since Indian which released in 1999) have been hitting the charts for a while. The music release event a fortnight ago in Chennai was well received with live orchestra by the singers and artists.


 

The film, which was hyped a lot over social media platforms by various Influencers and media houses for the past 2 weeks opened to a damp squib on Thursday, 5th June 2025.


Though Kamal Hassan and Mani Ratnam are self-claimed rationalists / atheists, they chose to release the film on a very auspicious day – so much so that it was on this day that a new shrine of Lord Shri Ram was consecrated at Ayodhya’s newly opened temple last year.


Produced with an estimated budget of over INR 350 Cr and released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages, the film is struggling to draw families and fans to watch the movie at theatres even during the first weekend.


 

With expensive food and beverages sold at multiplexes and even at small time, standalone cinemas, movie-goers are reluctant to spend so much of money with family to watch a movie which, according to those who have already seen the movie, lacks a strong screenplay.


 

Global online broadcasting company Netflix is the OTT partner for the film Thug Life and the movie is expected to hit the small screens by end-June 2025, after the mandatory 4-week gap from it’s theatrical release.


 

Sources say that Netflix is planning to release the film as a web-series instead of a movie with an extended version, given the richness of its content and the inability of making justice to show the entire screenplay in just 150 mins.


The Series is expected to have 9 episodes which are as follows -

  1. From Kayalpattinam to Karol Bagh - Sakthivel moves to the National Capital
  2. Jeeva, en jeevan - the marriage which was an outcome of a local riot (kalavaram)
  3. The original Delhi thug - Sadanand
  4. Mumbai Express - How Sakthivel saved Indrani from a Dance Bar in 90s Bombay
  5. The Search for Chandra - Amar’s national drive in his Toyota Fortuner
  6. The Brothers’ fued - why Manickam wanted to finish Sakthivel 
  7. The Himalayan Odyssey - Sakthivel gets killed in Nepal
  8. Budham Saranam Gachhami - Theists save an Atheist and teach martial arts
  9. The Beginning (of The End) - Sakthivel’s revenge on everyone who harmed his loved ones

There could be a surprise element as an additional 10th episode, where Sakthivel’s after life as an Organic farmer growing Millets in a small village in the Tuticorin district, with his dementia ridden wife Jeeva. 

Well placed sources said, “Kamal Hassan Sir has always struggled to convey his thoughts within the stipulated 120-150 mins for many of his cult classics such as Nayakan, Mahanathi, Hey! Ram, Virumaandi, Anbe Sivam among others. 



Therefore, it is only fair that we show his entire thought process over a web series.”

PS: This entire article is for fun and with a tinge of sarcasm combined with a wholesome imagination of the writer, inspired by various reviews of the movie seen on social media, as well as thoughts gathered as an outcome of watching First day First show of the film. 


PPS: The writing is an extension of the author's extended weekend boredom and the sadness crippled due to the portrayal of Indrani in the film, ahead of an extremely busy week and travel. 


Btw, I am an ardent fan of Ulaga Nayagan the Actor, a fellow Scorpio, sharing the neighbouring date of birth with Kamal Sir and an eternal lover of Cinema. Tamil Cinema, especially!

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