'It's only three seconds long, why so much discussion?' actress speaks out on Thug Life controversy

Following the release of the trailer for Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's film 'Thug Life', a controversy had erupted surrounding the romantic moments and lip-lock scenes between the 70-year-old male lead and the 42-year-old female lead. Now, actress Abhirami has responded to the controversies surrounding the film. In an interview with a national media outlet, Abhirami addressed the backlash, stating that the scene in the trailer lasts only three seconds, and the controversy surrounding it is unnecessary.

"Nowadays, anything can become a controversy. We can’t escape that. I’m not someone who can question Mani Ratnam sir’s logic in casting me in that role. Whatever his reasoning may be, I accept it. The scene in question is only three seconds long. What was shown in the trailer created some misunderstandings, that’s all. Once people watch the film and the context of that scene, including the kiss, no one will have an issue. It blends well with the scene. I don’t think it’s something that warrants so much discussion. I urge viewers to watch the film before jumping to conclusions," said Abhirami.

The much-anticipated trailer of Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Mani Ratnam, was released recently. The trailer is packed with action sequences. The cast includes Silambarasan, Joju George, Trisha, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, Ashok Selvan, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Jisshu Sengupta, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, and Vaiyapuri. The film is jointly produced by Raj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, Red Giant Movies, R. Mahendran, and Siva Ananth. Thug Life also marks a reunion between Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after 37 years.

Criticism emerged after the trailer’s release, particularly over the significant age gap between Kamal Haasan and his female co-stars. Both Abhirami and Trisha are 42 years old. Additionally, it became clear from the trailer that Trisha is not paired with Silambarasan, as many had assumed, which also sparked discussions. Questions arose, such as whether Kamal has two female leads in the film. Comments included: “Trisha is only three years older than Shruti Haasan,” “There’s a 30-year age difference between Kamal and the actresses,” and “How can we watch lip-lock scenes between Abhirami and Kamal Haasan?”