CHENNAI: A few days ago, social media was abuzz with posts saying that Gautham Karthik will be a part of Kamal Haasan- Mani Ratnam's Thug Life.

On Wednesday, the makers officially announced the actor's participation in the film. This will be Gautham Karthik's second collaboration with Mani Ratnam after Kadal, which marked the former's cinematic debut in 2013. That was not all. Another surprise addition to the team is the National award winning actor Joju George. Thug Life will be his third Tamil film after Jagame Thanthiram and Buffoon apart from Putham Pudhu Kaalai, a web series.

With this, Mani Ratnam has pulled off a casting coup yet again after the Ponniyin Selvan franchise. Kamal Haasan, Jayam Ravi, Trisha Krishnan, Nasser, Abhirami, Dulquer Salmaan form the cast apart from Gautham and Joju.

The story revolves around a gangster from Kayalpattinam named Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakar, played by Kamal Haasan.

The shoot will go on floors in Chennai on January 18 at a college in Chetpet.

AR Rahman is the film's composer while Ravi K Chandran will operate the camera. The project also marks the collaboration of Kamal, Mani and Nasser-- 36 years after Nayakan.

Sources in the industry tell us that the film has already been acquired by Netflix.