Masters, their magic and me

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Ali Fazal had wished for it, even pictured in his head how it would be if he ever got the opportunity to work with Mani Ratnam. But years of hoping had not prepared him for the surprise that is Thug Life. The action drama not only marks the actor's first collaboration with the filmmaker, but also sees him share screen space with his childhood hero Kamal Haasan. Fazal, who has joined the Delhi shoot, says he is a mixed bag of emotions - from excitement to pride and nervousness - but above all, he feels a deep sense of honour to work with the two masters of the craft. "I am thrilled to be a part of Mani sir's vision, and I can only hope to bring something of significance to this canvas. It's an honour to work alongside Kamal Haasan sir and share notes with him. The opportunity to collaborate with two stalwarts of Indian cinema has been humbling," says the actor about his maiden Tamil project.

Kamal Haasan has co-written the film

Announced in November 2022, Thug Life sees Haasan and Ratnam reuniting 37 years after their acclaimed Nayakan (1987). This time around, they have jointly written the script of the ambitious action drama that also stars Trisha, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Pankaj Tripathi and Sanya Malhotra. While Haasan kicked off the shoot in January with a schedule in Chennai, the team began the second stint in the capital this month. A source reveals, "This week, Fazal will shoot a few sequences at some iconic markets of Delhi. The team has procured the necessary permissions to film at such busy places. Late next week, the shoot will move to Chennai where it will go on till May-end."

Mani Ratnam

We hear Fazal will report back to Thug Life's set only in August after wrapping up Anurag Basu's Metro... In Dino in June. The source adds, "He has kept his July dates free as Richa [Chadha, actor-wife] and he are expecting the arrival of their baby then. In August, he will juggle Mani sir's shoot with the promotions for the third season of Mirzapur."