70-year-old actor romancing 42-year-old actresses; Kamal Haasan's lip-lock scene with younger actress sparks outrage

The much-anticipated trailer of Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Mani Ratnam, was released on Saturday. The trailer is packed with action sequences and features an ensemble cast including 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 Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, Red Giant Movies, R. Mahendran, and Siva Ananth.

Thug Life also marks the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after 37 years, making it a special project. Meanwhile, certain visuals from the trailer have sparked discussions on social media. Some romantic moments featuring Kamal Haasan have drawn criticism, particularly scenes involving lip locks. Critics point to the fact that Kamal Haasan, aged 70, is paired with much younger actresses, which they find inappropriate. Both Abhirami and Trisha, for instance, are 42 years old.

Additionally, the trailer reveals that Trisha is not paired opposite Silambarasan as many had speculated, which has also become a talking point. Questions have arisen about whether Kamal Haasan's character has two romantic interests in the film. Comments circulating online include: “Trisha is only three years older than Shruti Haasan,” “There’s a 30-year age gap between Kamal and the actresses,” and “How can one watch a lip-lock scene between Abhirami and Kamal?” At the same time, Kamal Haasan’s fans have come to his defence. They argue that the character’s age matters more than the actor’s and that Kamal has portrayed what the role demands.