Kamal Haasan’sThug LifeSparks Debate on Age Gaps in Indian Cinema
Let’s talk about Kamal Haasan’s latest film, Thug Life —because while the movie is making waves for its intense storytelling and legendary cast, it’s also stirring up a very familiar storm in Indian cinema: the glaring, ongoing issue of age-gap romances between male actors and their significantly younger female co-stars. Now, before we jump into the usual "let art be art" argument, let’s really look at what’s happening here.
Thug Life , directed by Mani Ratnam, stars 70-year-old Kamal Haasan romancing actresses Trisha Krishnan and Abhirami—both in their early 40s. And yes, the Internet has noticed. The trailer sparked immediate backlash, not because of the plot or acting, but because of that nearly 30-year age difference playing out romantically on screen. And guess what? This isn’t new. It’s just the latest chapter in Indian cinema’s ongoing obsession with casting older male actors as romantic leads while women of the same age are nowhere to be seen—or worse, they’re relegated to playing mothers or grandmothers.
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Some fans argue, "It’s just acting." Fair. But let’s flip the script. Imagine a 70-year-old female actor kissing a 40-something male star in a trailer. Would it still be called “magic”? Would there be the same poetic praise and cinematic celebration? Unlikely. When Aishwarya Rai starred opposite Ranbir Kapoor, who is nine years younger, it created a media frenzy. Her motherhood, her marriage—everything was scrutinized. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan kissing women nearly 30 years his junior is shrugged off as “vintage charm.”
Actors like Salman Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have offered similar defenses. “Romance is ageless,” they say. “If the heroine’s father is okay with it, why aren’t you?” But that’s not really the point, is it? The issue is the industry’s consistent pattern. It’s not about one pairing—it’s about the norm it creates. When male stars continue to be portrayed as desirable no matter their age, while female stars quietly disappear from lead roles after 40, it sends a very clear message about who gets to age—and how.
Even Trisha and Abhirami, the actresses in question, have tried to quell the noise, saying the scenes are short and context matters. Director Mani Ratnam, too, insists that cinema reflects society, and these relationships exist in real life. True. But art doesn't just reflect society—it also shapes it. And if the norm in storytelling constantly leans toward older men with younger women, it becomes more than just “representation”—it becomes reinforcement.
on screen ?
So as Thug Life lights up theatres (everywhere except Karnataka, for now), the spotlight isn’t just on the film’s action sequences or musical genius. It’s also on the bigger picture—the one where age, gender, and desirability collide. Maybe it’s time for Indian cinema to not just entertain, but evolve. Because if the only kind of “thug life” we keep celebrating is one where aging men still get the girl while aging women disappear into the background, we’re not just watching a film. We’re watching history repeat itself. Again.
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