Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 173 Titled Dharman, First Look Poster Dropped

Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 173 will be directed by Ashwath Marimuthu and is officially titled as Dharman– The Deadly Doctor. On their Instagram handle, Raaj Kamal Films International revealed the first look poster. The poster showcases Rajinikanth in a powerful avatar, hinting at a character who is both a doctor and a rebel. The makers unveiled the poster with the Tamil caption, "Dharmame Vellum", which is translated as, "Justice will prevail." Rashi Khanna and Simran are the female leads and the music is composed by Anirudh Ravichandar. The release is rumoured to be during Pongal next year. Simran reunites with Rajinikanth after Petta (2019) and Kamal Haasan after Panchathanthiram (2002) and Pammal K Sambandam (2002). The film's puja ceremony took place in Chennai with the entire cast and crew. Filming is set to kick off from June 25.

Sundar C was first announced as the film's director in November last year, but he exited the project due to "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.". Later, Cibi Chakravarthi was chosen to steer it. A first look was announced in January this year. While the film was meant to go on floors in April, it was deferred, triggering conjecutures on a change of director. He'd reportedly started pre-production, but no reason was divulged as to why he dropped out as well. Later, Oh My Kadavule and Dragon filmmaker Ashwath Marimuthu's name started buzzing on social media. It is only now the makers have officially confirmed Ashwath as the director at a grand title launch event in Chennai. Niketh Bommi serves as the cinematographer and Pradeep E Ragav is on as the editor. Reputed action choreographer duo Anbariv has also joined the team.

Rajinikanth is also revving up for Jailer 2, the sequel to Nelson Dilipkumar’s 2023 blockbuster. Jailer 2 will up the ante significantly, with Muthuvel Pandian confronting bigger threats. Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar are likely to reprise their roles, while Mithun Chakraborty and Vidya Balan are also expected to play key parts. Hrithik Roshan is also set to appear in a cameo role.