Superstar Rajinikanth‘s upcoming film, tentatively titled Thalaivar 173, has officially got its title, Dharman. Producer Kamal Haasan unveiled the first look poster on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, on Instagram.
Directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, known for films like Dragon and Ori Devuda, the announcement has sparked strong buzz on social media, with audiences eager to know more about the project.
Rajinikanth’s Thalaivar 173 is now Dharman, poster released
In the first-look poster, Rajinikanth is seen in an intense avatar, dressed in blue surgical scrubs, suggesting a medical or hospital-based setting. It also features the film’s title, Dharman, along with the tagline “The Deadly Doctor” written below. Kamal Haasan wrote a caption in Tamil, which loosely translates as “Justice will prevail.” Take a look below:
What did Rajinikanth say about finalising director Ashwath Marimuthu for Dharman?
During the pooja ceremony, Rajinikanth shared that Ashwath Marimuthu was the fourth director associated with the project, admitting that the film had seen multiple changes behind the scenes. He said, “This project was originally set to be directed by KS Ravikumar. But that didn’t work out, and then we had Sundar C on board as the director. However, he had to exit the project due to his other film commitments. Then came Cibi Chakaravarthy; I really liked Cibi’s story, but it was a very sensitive subject. It was about a nuclear scientist, and it demanded shooting in Afghanistan and Russia. Moreover, it seemed like a very time-consuming project, which is why we couldn’t do it. Then we finalised Ashwath Marimuthu.”
Dharman: Crew details
The film is produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI). The music for the film is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, who has previously collaborated with Rajinikanth in films like Coolie, Jailer, Darbar, and Petta. The cinematography is handled by Niketh Bommi, editing by Pradeep E Ragav.
Rajinikanth’s work front
On the work front, Rajinikanth was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie alongside Shruti Haasan and Nagarjuna Akkineni in lead roles. He has several films in his pipeline, including Jailer 2 and an untitled project, KH x RK, with Kamal Haasan.
Also Read: KH x RK Promo Out: Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth to reunite with retro energy for Nelson’s film
