Indian actor Ali Fazal has joined the cast of Mani Ratnam‘s “Thug Life,” starring Kamal Haasan.
The cast also includes Trisha Krishnan, Dulquer Salmaan, Jayam Ravi, Silambarasan Rajendar, Joju George, Gautham Kartik and Aishwarya Lekshmi.
The film, which hails from the gangster genre, is written by Ratnam and Haasan and produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies. Haasan, Ratnam, R. Mahendran and Siva Ananth serve as producers. Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Grammy winning composerA.R. Rahmanwill provide the music. Noted cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, who previously shot “Kannathil Muthamittal” (2002), “Aayitha Ezhuthu” and “Yuva” (both 2004) for Ratnam, is shooting the film.
Haasan and Ratnam previously teamed on gangster epic “Nayakan” (1987). The film was a watershed in both their careers. It was a box office blockbuster, won Haasan best actor at India’s National Film Awards and was the country’s entry to the 1988 Oscars.
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Fazal, one of the few Indian stars with a global footprint, broke out internationally in “Furious 7” (2015), before going on to play Abdul to Judi Dench’s Victoria in Stephen Frears’ “Victoria & Abdul” in 2017 — the same year he was chosen asone of thePvNew’s10 Actors to Watch. He was part of the ensemble cast of Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptation “Death on the Nile” (2022). In India he is one of the leads in hit Prime Video series “Mirzapur” and the “Fukrey” film franchise. He has several films coming up, including Anurag Basu’s “Metro…. In Dino.”
“Thug Life” has commenced production and Fazal is joining the film as it shoots in Delhi.
Fazal said: “I am truly thrilled to be a part of Mani-sir’s vision for ‘Thug Life.’ And I can only hope I bring something of significance to this canvas. It’s also an honor to work alongside Kamal Haasan-sir and share notes with him on this. The opportunity to collaborate with two stalwarts of Indian cinema has been humbling. I am deeply grateful to Mani-sir for entrusting me with this role and am eager to bring it to life on screen.”
Along with his wife Richa Chadha, Fazal runs production company Pushing Buttons, which launched with Sundance-winning “Girls Will Be Girls,” and has an eclectic lineup.
