‘Promo has better story than whole film’, say fans as Kamal Haasan, Simbu face off in Thug Life OTT release announcement

The internet gave a thumbs up to the new promotional video of Kamal Haasan and Simbu for the OTT release of Thug Life, saying it is better than the film itself.

Mani Ratnam's Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan and Simbu, is out on Netflix. The actors and the streamer launched a promotional video to tease the release of the movie on OTT. Fans reacted to the fun video clip, and surprisingly gave it a favourable review, even saying that the plot here is better than what was there in the actual movie. (Also read: Thug Life OTT release: Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam's film skips 8-week window, streams online a month after theatrical run)

Kamal Haasan and Simbu in the promo for Thug Life.

Thug Life OTT release

The video shows Kamal Haasan and Simbu sitting in front of a bunch of journalists as part of a media interaction. One of them says that the Jinguchaa dance was absolutely amazing, to which it is Simbu who says thank you, irking Kamal. A second journalist asks that the actor started off as a child artist and has been doing it so successfully for so many years. How was the experience? To this, again, it is Simbu who replies, ‘It’s an incredible experience.' Kamal looks at him again, faking a smile.

When a third question is thrown at them asking who is the real ‘thug’ in real life, the two of them pause for a while. Then Simbu answers, ‘I am the Thug.’ Then he adds, to everyone's surprise: ‘But the hero of all thugs is Sir!’ Simbu asks him to strike a pose, which he agrees to do, and the promo ends with a montage of clips from the Mani Ratnam film.

User reactions

Reacting to the clip, a user commented: “Promo was so better than the whole movie.” A second user said, “this promo > the movie.” Another said, “Vinveli Nayaga looks better here.” A comment read, “This promo watching 10+ times, but watching this movie… umm I am not sure.” “So much effort for the promo, why wasn't the same in the film?” asked a second user.

Thug Life is Mani and Kamal’s first film together after the 1987 cult classic Nayakan. The gangster drama revolves around him and his adopted son, Amaran, played by Silambarasan. Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Abhirami, and others also star in it. The film was released amid huge controversy over Kamal's remarks on the Kannada language and was not released in Karnataka. The film also received mixed reviews from critics and fans.