Kamal Haasan and Trisha Krishnan are playing a gangster and a mistress, respectively, in Thug Life. Since the age gap between them is more than 30 years, Mani Ratnam's casting choice has been called into question.
The director, in his latest interview, has explained why there is nothing problematic about the casting choice. "In real life, people with age differences - whether older men with younger women or vice versa - are not an anomaly. It has been a reality for a long time. However, when these kinds of relationships appear in films, people tend to scrutinise and pass judgment," the director of iconic movies like Roja said.
Mani Ratnam, known for his frank answers, added that the outrage signifies that we are "turning a blind eye to what’s happening in our society and insisting that things should only be portrayed in one way."
Thug Life, co-starring Simbu, Ashok Selvan and others, has music by AR Rahman. It hits the cinemas on June 5.
