Joju George calls Kamal Haasan’s praise his ‘Oscar’, recalls being hurt by Mollywood co-stars: Was always misunderstood

Superstar Kamal Haasan recently attended the audio launch event of his upcoming film Thug Life. During the event, the actor praised his co-star Joju George for his performance. Reacting to his words of praise, Joju penned a heartfelt note on Instagram, stating that Kamal’s appreciation was like an Oscar to him. He also opened up about being misunderstood by his co-workers in Malayalam cinema and expressed gratitude to Mani Ratnam for casting him in Thug Life. (Also Read: Silambarasan says Mani Ratnam asked him to grab Kamal Haasan’s neck tightly in Thug Life: ‘He gave terrible reaction’)

Joju George moved by Kamal Haasan’s words of appreciation for him

Joju shared a video of Kamal appreciating his work on Instagram and wrote, “Thank you, Kamal Sir. This is my dream come true. I dreamt of getting big awards, but for me, your wonderful words and appreciation of my work feels like I’ve won my Oscar. You are a superstar and our universal role model. I’m a huge fan and a good disciple of yours; all of us always look forward to watch your every move on screen. So, getting such appreciation from you is my real Oscar.”

He added, “I worked very hard to get my roles framed to perfection. I always expected people from the industry to tell me how I did in all my movies. However, from my own field, very few (my co-workers) appreciated my roles and work. I struggled to share my movie posters with celebrities; mostly, I was always misunderstood. Many media persons and co-workers hurt me badly. But today, I’m so happy that I received such appreciation from Kamal Sir, which made my day. ‘Joseph’ made me happy, while the rest is just a bonus. As a human, I feel satisfied and fulfilled through his words. Thug Life is a memorable experience for me, and working with them all was remarkable.”

He further shared how working on Thug Life proved to be a transformative experience for him, both professionally and personally. Reflecting on his journey, Joju said the film gave him the motivation to move forward in life during a particularly difficult period. What began as a desperate situation turned into overwhelming happiness, thanks to the support he received along the way.

He expressed deep gratitude to director Mani Ratnam for entrusting him with the role, calling it a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a filmmaker of his calibre. Joju also reiterated his faith in cinema and affirmed that his journey in the industry is far from over, dedicating the appreciation he’s received to all those who stood by him.

About Thug Life

The much-awaited gangster drama marks Kamal Haasan’s reunion with Mani Ratnam after 38 years. Fans had earlier showered love on their film Nayakan and are now eagerly waiting to see their magic again in Thug Life. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, and more in key roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on 5 June.