Superstar Rajinikanth surprised fans in Mysuru when he turned up at the shooting location of his upcoming film ‘Dharman’ in an auto-rickshaw.

Videos of the actor getting out of the vehicle and greeting the crowd have surfaced on social media, giving fans gathered outside the set an unexpected glimpse of the superstar.

In the clips, Rajinikanth can be seen stepping out of the auto with his security team around him before waving at the fans waiting outside. The crowd responded with cheers as the actor acknowledged them and headed towards the shooting location.

The actor is currently filming Dharman in Mysuru under the direction of Ashwath Marimuthu. The latest schedule has also marked the completion of another leg of filming, with the director sharing behind-the-scenes pictures from the sets.

‘Dharman’ marks the first collaboration between Rajinikanth and Ashwath Marimuthu. The film is Rajinikanth’s 173rd project and is backed by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International along with R Mahendran.

The film was officially launched in June, when its title and first-look poster were unveiled. The poster offered a glimpse of Rajinikanth in an unusual avatar, showing him dressed as a doctor while holding a bloodied scalpel.

Ashwath has described the film as a combination of the mass appeal associated with ‘Padayappa’ and the thriller elements of ‘Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu’. He also revealed that the first schedule would include Rajinikanth’s introductory song.

The director later said that the film would wrap its shoot by October 2026 and teased a different side of Rajinikanth, describing the actor’s presence in the film as having a “Gen-Z vibe”.

The film has had a longer journey behind the camera than its current lineup might suggest.

Sundar C was initially announced as the director when the project was first revealed in 2025. He later left the film, citing “unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances”.

Don director Cibi Chakravarthy was subsequently brought on board and worked on the project’s development and pre-production. He too eventually exited.

Rajinikanth addressed the changes during the film’s launch and revealed how the project had gone through multiple versions before Ashwath Marimuthu finally took charge.

Simran, Raashii Khanna and Yogi Babu are part of the cast

Alongside Rajinikanth, the confirmed cast includes Simran, Raashii Khanna and Yogi Babu. Simran is reuniting with Rajinikanth after their previous collaboration in Petta.

There has also been speculation about actors Ram Pothineni and Sreeleela joining the project. Raashii Khanna briefly shared a post from the Mysuru schedule that appeared to show her with Rajinikanth and Ram Pothineni, but the makers have not officially confirmed Ram’s role.