Mumbai: Trisha Krishnan, a mainstay in South Indian cinema over two decades, finds herself once again at the centre of conversation for romancing Kamal Haasan, who is 30 years her senior, in Mani Ratnam's forthcoming magnum opus, 'Thug Life'.

At a recent promotional event in Mumbai, Trisha addressed the criticism with measured grace. “Of course, getting criticism is part of the game as we belong to a creative profession." The actress illustrated that she knew these responses would come long before she accepted the role, reports Money Control.

“I felt it the day they announced the film—even before I was a part of it- that this was going to be something special. There would be opinions, obviously, but I saw magic in them together from the jump,” Trisha said.

Recalling shooting with two most respected artists from Indian cinema — Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam — Trisha was all praises.

She talked about how it was inspiring and at the same time intimidating to see their magical, creative chemistry working behind the scenes. “It was surreal,” she said. “All of us actors are there thinking, ‘We really gotta bring our A-game here.' We couldn’t stop watching them work — it was just magic.”

Adding to the swirl of opinions, 'Thug Life's newly announced track 'Sugar Baby', rumoured to be Trisha's solo performance, has triggered further online discourse. There has been backlash regarding the song online, with some netizens questioning its title and labelling the song "inappropriate" for someone in their 40s.

Some are just dejected that Mani Ratnam, the man who is a master when it comes to writing his female characters, would be including what they believe is an “item number” in one of his own films - for the first time. But neither Trisha nor the team of filmmakers has responded to the situation head-on.

Slated to release in Kolkata on June 5, 2025, 'Thug Life'is said to explore a fractured father-son dynamic, with Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR in central roles.

'Thug Life' is the second collaboration of Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, after the massive success of 'Nayakan'. Bankrolled by Raaj Kamal Films International, 'Thug Life' has music by AR Rahman, and it will be available on Netflix eight weeks after its release in theatres.

Despite the growing chatter around the film's creative choices, Trisha remains unfazed.