Ali Fazal has completed his portion of the shoot for Mani Ratnam’s Tamil-language pan-India film Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan. The film marks Fazal’s South Indian cinema debut and features an ensemble cast including Trisha, Abhirami, Nasser, Joju George, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, and Aishwarya Lekshmi.
Calling Mani Ratnam a “visionary,” Fazal described the past two months as transformative. “It has been an absolute honour to work under Mani Ratnam sir’s direction. Sharing the screen with icons like Kamal Hassan sir and such an extraordinary cast is something I’ll cherish forever,” said Fazal.
The actor added, “Learning Tamil, immersing myself in a new cinematic culture, and pushing my creative boundaries has been a deeply rewarding journey. Mani sir creates a world so immersive and rich—I can confidently say this film will be a cinematic feast for audiences across India and beyond.”
Thug Life marks Mani Ratnam’s return to directing after a long hiatus. Produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, and Red Giant Movies, with music by AR Rahman, the film is slated to release on June 5, 2025.
On the work front, Fazal also stars in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lahore 1947 and Anurag Basu’s Metro…In Dino.
Internationally, he will appear alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Rule Breakers, directed by two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag. Set in Afghanistan, the film explores resilience and defiance and is set for release in March 2025. Fazal, known for Victoria & Abdul and Furious 7, continues to cement his place on the global stage.
