Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan reunite after 38 years for Thug Life, scheduled to release in cinemas on June 5. This crime thriller features an ensemble cast including Silambarasan (STR), Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, and Baburaj. Thug Life is a gangster drama based on the abandoned film Amar Hai, which Kamal Haasan had once conceptualised with Saif Ali Khan in the lead. ‘Thug Life’: Kamal Haasan Reveals His Mani Ratnam Film Is Revived From ‘Amar Hai’, Once Planned With Saif Ali Khan – All You Need To Know About Shelved Project (Watch Video).

Although Mani Ratnam is best known for his romantic and emotionally resonant dramas, he has explored the gangster genre in the past - some of these films have gone on to be considered classics, including one that starred Kamal Haasan himself.

In this feature, we revisit five gangster films directed by Mani Ratnam and where you can stream them online:

1. Pagal Nilavu

Murali in Pagal Nilavu

Pagal Nilavu marked Mani Ratnam’s debut in Tamil cinema, a film industry that would soon become his creative stronghold. Starring Murali, Sathyaraj, Revathi, and Sarath Babu, the story follows a young man who works for a gangster and falls in love with a police inspector’s sister.

Watch it for free on YouTube.

2. Nayakan

Kamal Haasan in Nayakan

Considered one of Mani Ratnam’s greatest films, Nayakan is inspired by The Godfather and features Kamal Haasan in a career-defining role as Velu Nayakkar, a migrant who rises to power in the underworld. The film earned Haasan the National Award for Best Actor and was later remade in Hindi by Feroz Khan as Dayavan, starring Vinod Khanna. Streaming on Sun NXT and Prime Video. ‘Thug Life’ Release in Karnataka Halted After Actor Kamal Haasan Refuses To Issue Apology Over Kannada Language Remark Row, Case Adjourned to June 10.

3. Thalapathi

Mammootty and Rajinikanth in Thalapathi

After transforming Kamal Haasan into a don in Nayakan, Ratnam cast Rajinikanth as a gangster in Thalapathi (in his finest performance ever), drawing inspiration from the bond between Karna and Duryodhana in the Mahabharata. The film also features Mammootty, Arvind Swamy (in his debut), Shobana, Bhanupriya, Geetha, Manoj K Jayan, and Amrish Puri. Streaming on Prime Video.

4. Aayutha Ezhuthu / Yuva

Meera Jasmine and R Madhavan in Aayutha Ezhuthu

Both versions - Aayutha Ezhuthu in Tamil and Yuva in Hindi - lean more towards political drama, but include significant gangster elements. In Yuva, Abhishek Bachchan plays a violent goon, while R Madhavan plays the equivalent role in Aayutha Ezhuthu. Their story arcs revolve around an assassination attempt on one of the other leads (Ajay Devgn in Yuva, Suriya in Aayutha Ezhuthu). Yuva is streaming on Netflix; Aayutha Ezhuthu is on Sun NXT.

5. Chekka Chivantha Vaanam

Arvind Swamy and Vijay Sethupathi in Chekka Chivantha Vaanam

While perhaps not among Ratnam’s most celebrated works, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam is an intense ensemble crime drama. The film explores betrayal and power struggles within a criminal family and features strong performances from Arvind Swamy, Silambarasan, Arun Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Prakash Raj, Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Aditi Rao Hydari. Chekka Chivantha Vaanam is streaming on JioHotstar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2025 08:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).