Pragmatic thing to do: Kamal Haasan on 8-week gap between theatrical, OTT release of 'Thug Life'

Mumbai: Superstar Kamal Haasan has decided to extend the gap between the theatrical and OTT release of his upcoming film "Thug Life", saying it was a pragmatic thing to do.

The gap between the theatrical run and OTT release of movies has been decreasing over the years with many opting for a four-week window over the usual eight-week delay between a film's theatrical release and its arrival on streamers.

At a promotional event for the Mani Ratnam-directed movie here, Haasan expressed hope that his initiative would inspire others in the industry to adopt a similar approach.

"It is not even an experiment; it's a pragmatic thing to do. I'm glad that the OTT (‘Netflix’) agreed. It's a plan that maybe others could follow. It will make the industry healthy and we are glad that we were the first to be there to avail of that opportunity," Haasan told reporters here.

The movie reunites the Tamil superstar with Ratnam after 35 years. The duo last collaborated on the 1987 critical hit "Nayakan".

Both Haasan and Ratnam spoke fondly about their long-standing relationship and their mutual admiration for cinema.

"The first impression is that I know him as a friend living in the same area. I didn't even know that he belonged to a film family. I liked the way he spoke. We became friends. We had a group of friends and we were only talking about cinema and that's where it started," Haasan said.

Referring to himself and Ratnam as "movie buffs" and "fans of cinema", the actor recounted how he and the "Ponniyin Selvan" director went to see the shoot of one of the movies of Ramesh Sippy in the late 1980s.

"When we were doing 'Nayakan' near Colaba, Ramesh Sippy Sahab was shooting in the Film City. We all went to see the shooting of Ramesh Sippy. The qualification that brought us here is that like you, we are fans, film buffs and that's what brought us here. We will go to any set to watch anybody, especially those who we consider talented, we would like to watch them more," Haasan said.

Ratnam echoed similar sentiments and expressed admiration for Haasan's unwavering dedication to the art of filmmaking. Ratnam also recalled how Haasan came from a narration of "Sadma" in Tamil and just enacted a particular scene from the movie. "Sadma", also starring Sridevi, is one of the most memorable movies of both Haasan and Sridevi's careers.

"I was lucky that I could interact with him before I got into it (working with him). I knew there was somebody who was making a big path for all of us to come in and that's what he's done."

In "Thug Life", Haasan essays the role of Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar, a man caught between crime and justice.

The event was also attended by actors Silambarasan TR, Trisha, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan and music composer A R Rahman.

Rahman called Haasan and Ratnam the 'OG Thugs'.

"The first thing I did when I heard about 'Thug Life' was to create some gangster tunes. We were experimenting with various melodies. The first thing we did was the lullaby and then there's a haunting voice that comes in, that gives a very unique feeling and he really loved it," he said, adding that this time Ratnam demanded his full attention for the movie.

Trisha, who has collaborated with both Haasan and Ratnam on different films like "Thoongaa Vanam", "Manmadan Ambu" and "Ponniyin Selvan", said it's "surreal" to be working with the two legends on the same movie.

"Dreams come true and for me, repeatedly, because I've worked with the two of them individually on different films. It is surreal. It is lovely to share the whole journey of travelling together and spending so much time talking to them. You learn so much about cinema. Every day feels like a school of sorts," the actor said.

Trisha said, the director urged her to "unlearn" her previous acting methods as her role is different from "Ponniyin Selvan".

"This film was very different for me because when I first walked into Mani sir's office and he narrated a little line, he said, 'I want you to unlearn completely what you did in 'PS', as this role is completely different. It was challenging. I was wary of whether I'd suit the character or not. We worked a lot on that. I'm very excited about it," she said.

Actors Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, Rajshri Deshpande and Sanya Malhotra round out the cast of "Thug Life".

The film is scheduled to hit theatres around the globe on June 5.