Did Mani Ratnam Replace Nayantara With Trisha? Is It Because Of Her Exorbitant Remuneration?

Ace director Mani Ratnam has announced his next film with Kamal Haasan, Jayam Ravi, Dulquer Salman and Trisha playing the lead cast. Thirty-six years after Nayakan, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam are reuniting for this project titled Thug Life.

Interestingly, earlier there were reports of the the team approaching Nayantara to play the leading lady. However, according to rumours mills, the Jawan actress quoted an exorbitant 12 crores as remuneration for the film. The team then went on to sign Trisha.

Trisha has worked with Mani Ratnam in Aaytha Ezhuthu and Ponniyin Selvan. Thug Life will be co-produced by Raaj Kamal Films International and Madras Talkies. The film will have Mani's regular crew list including cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, editor Sreekar Prasad, and music director AR Rahman.

The film is said to be a full-on action thriller by Hollywood standards. Interestingly, Kamal's character name in the film has been revealed as Rangaraya Sakthivel Naicker, adding to speculation that the story might have some connection to Kamal-Mani Ratnam cult classic Nayakan.

Meanwhile, the team released the teaser video in which Kamal Haasan plays a lone warrior. The video begins with Kamal standing in a barren, misty land covered in a rustic blanket. Five men with weapons can be seen at a distance ready to attack. His face is now revealed, appearing in a dense moustache and beard. As the five-men approaches, he is ready to charge in his martial arts position. He calmly takes them down one by one and smiles at the camera.