Mon May 26 02:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the text you provided:
**Kamal Haasan Praises Joju George at ‘Thug Life’ Audio Launch, Video Goes Viral**
**Chennai:** Veteran actor Kamal Haasan showered praise on actor Joju George at the audio launch of their upcoming film ‘Thug Life,’ directed by Mani Ratnam. The video of Haasan’s comments has quickly gone viral on social media.
Haasan admitted that he wasn’t initially familiar with Joju’s work until he watched the film ‘Iratta’ where Joju played twin brothers working in the same police station. Haasan expressed his admiration for Joju’s ability to portray the distinct identities of the two characters so convincingly. He said he even felt “jealous” of Joju’s talent, adding that he considers every new actor a challenge, but it is his duty to congratulate and welcome them.
Earlier, at a press conference in Kochi, Haasan jokingly questioned whether Joju would even be “released” back to Malayalam cinema after working on ‘Thug Life.’
‘Thug Life,’ marking the reunion of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam after 37 years, is set to release on June 5th. The film has received a U/A certificate and has a runtime of 165 minutes. The movie boasts an ensemble cast including Silambarasan, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and others. Netflix has secured the OTT rights for the film.
Gokulam Gopalan, under Gokulam Movies, will distribute ‘Thug Life’ in Kerala, continuing their successful partnership with Raj Kamal Films after the blockbuster ‘Amaran’. Dream Big Films is the Kerala distribution partner for ‘Thug Life’.