A.R. Rahman records song with Sneha Shankar for Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life'

IANS May 19, 2025 376 views

Talented young singer Sneha Shankar has achieved a remarkable milestone by recording her first playback song with legendary composer A.R. Rahman for Mani Ratnam's upcoming film 'Thug Life'. At just 19, Sneha comes from a musical family, being the daughter of music director Ram Shankar and granddaughter of the iconic Shree Shankarji. The film stars Kamal Haasan and promises to be an epic tale of power and rebellion, marking another exciting collaboration between Rahman and Ratnam. This opportunity represents a significant breakthrough for Sneha, who describes the experience as a dream come true.

"It feels like a dream to be singing for A.R. Rahman sir" - Sneha Shankar
A.R. Rahman records song with Sneha Shankar for Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life'
Mumbai, May 19: Oscar-winning musician A.R. Rahman has recorded a track with Sneha Shankar, who mesmerised the audiences on reality shows such as “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs”, “Superstar Singer” and “Indian Idol Season 15”, for the upcoming film “Thug Life” by Mani Ratnam.

Key Points

1

Young talent Sneha Shankar makes playback debut with Rahman

2

Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life' features Kamal Haasan in lead role

3

Film promises epic tale of power and rebellion

4

Rahman composes music for high-profile project

Sneha is making her official playback debut under the baton of Rahman musical in the magnum opus Thug Life.

”It feels like a dream to be singing for A.R. Rahman sir in his musical ,a name I’ve looked up to since I first understood music,” said Sneha.

At just 19, Sneha is the daughter of renowned music director Ram Shankar and granddaughter of the legendary Shree Shankarji (of the iconic Shankar-Shambhu duo).

She added: “To lend my voice to a Mani Ratnam film is beyond anything I ever imagined. I am overwhelmed, grateful, and deeply humbled. This is a blessing.”

It was on May 17, when Mani Ratnam unveiled the trailer of his much-awaited action extravaganza 'Thug Life', featuring Kamal Haasan in the lead. The trailer gives one the impression that this will be a film that will revolve around the struggle for power.

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, features Kamal Haasan in the lead. The film will also feature actors Silambarasan, Trisha, Joju George, Ashok Selvan and Abhirami in pivotal roles.

Kamal Haasan plays a character called Rangaraya Sakthivel Naickan in this film, which director Mani Ratnam's production house Madras Talkies had described as "an epic tale of power, rebellion, and triumph."

The film has music by A R Rahman and cinematography by Ravi K Chandran. It has editing by Mani Ratnam's trusted editor Sreekar Prasad and stunts by the stuntmasters, Anbariv.

Ratnam’s previous project was the magnum opus “Ponniyin Selvan 2”, which released in 2023, The second of two cinematic parts based on the 1954 novel Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy.

The film stars an ensemble cast including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ravi Mohan, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan, Jayaram, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Sobhita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Vikram Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Rahman, R. Parthiban and others.

It continues to follow the prince Arulmozhi Varman (who would become the emperor Rajaraja I) and his family as they deal with threats to the Chola Empire.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
What an amazing opportunity for young Sneha! To debut under Rahman sir's guidance is every singer's dream come true. Her family's musical legacy combined with Rahman's magic - this song is going to be special! Can't wait for Thug Life release 🤩
R
Rahul V.
Mani Ratnam + Kamal Haasan + AR Rahman - this is the ultimate dream team of Tamil cinema! After PS-1 & PS-2, expectations are sky high. Hope Thug Life lives up to the hype. The trailer already gave me goosebumps!
S
Sunita M.
Sneha was brilliant in Indian Idol! So happy to see her getting this big break. But I hope the music doesn't overshadow the story - Mani Ratnam films need strong narratives. PS-2's music was great but story felt rushed in parts.
A
Arjun P.
The Shankar-Shambhu legacy continues! Sneha has big shoes to fill but with Rahman as mentor, she's in safe hands. Hope this song becomes another Rahman classic like "Chaiyya Chaiyya" or "Roja Janeman"!
M
Meena R.
Excited for Kamal Haasan's performance! At his age, he's still doing such challenging roles. The combination of his acting and Rahman's music is always magical. Remember how amazing "Hey Ram" was? Expecting similar brilliance here.
V
Vikram S.
While I'm happy for Sneha, I wish Rahman would give more opportunities to fresh voices from smaller towns too. Most debut singers seem to come from industry families these days. Talent exists everywhere in India!

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Tags:
A.R. Rahman Sneha Shankar Mani Ratnam Thug Life Kamal Haasan Playback Debut Indian Cinema