A new film starring Superstar Rajinikanth will be produced by Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan under the banner of Raaj Kamal Films International. Tentatively titled ‘Thalaivar 173’, the film will be directed by Cibi Chakravarthy and is slated for a global Pongal 2027 release. The film will be released by Red Giant Movies.

The announcement coincides with the celebrations marking 44 years of Raaj Kamal Films International, owned by Kamal Haasan. The film is being jointly produced by Kamal Haasan along with R Mahendran.
 

The music for the film will be composed by Anirudh Ravichander, and its tagline reads, “Every family has a hero”. Notably, this marks the first time Rajinikanth will play the lead in a film produced by Kamal Haasan.

Currently, Rajinikanth is acting in ‘Jailer 2’, directed by Nelson. He is expected to join the shoot of ‘Thalaivar 173’ after completing that project. The film’s shooting is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year, and it is being positioned as a potential milestone in Tamil cinema.

The project is also seen as a reflection of the five-decade-long friendship and camaraderie between Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Director Cibi Chakravarthy, who previously worked as an assistant director to Atlee on films such as ‘Theri’ and ‘Mersal’, made his directorial debut with ‘Don’ (2022) starring Sivakarthikeyan. ‘Thalaivar 173’ will be his second directorial venture.

The film is expected to be a full-fledged mass commercial entertainer, with more details to be announced soon.