Did Rajinikanth's 'Thalaivar 173' lock its director?
What's the story
The much-anticipated film Thalaivar 173, featuring superstar Rajinikanth, seems to have locked in a new director. After several behind-the-scenes changes, Ashwath Marimuthu, known for Dragon and Oh My Kadavule, has seemingly joined as the helmer of this project. The banner, Kamal Haasan's Raaj Kamal Films International, wished the director on his birthday on Tuesday with an illustrated video post. This is being seen as an indication of his directing Thalaivar 173.
Directorial shuffle
'Thalaivar 173' saw multiple directorial changes
Thalaivar 173 has seen a series of directorial changes since its announcement in January 2026. Initially, Sundar C was set to direct the film but later stepped down citing "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances." Following this, Cibi Chakravarthy was announced as the new director. However, reports suggested that Rajinikanth wanted some changes in the script, which was delaying things. As no other update came, fans assumed Chakravarthy had also moved on from the venture.
Cast details
'Thalaivar 173': Everything we know so far
The film, tentatively titled Thalaivar 173, is a collaboration between two Tamil cinema legends—Rajinikanth and Haasan. While the cast has not been officially confirmed yet, rumors suggest that Sai Pallavi and Kathir are in early talks to join the team. Anirudh Ravichander will compose the music for the film. So far, only a first-look poster has been released by the makers.
Ongoing project
Meanwhile, here's everything we know about 'Jailer 2'
Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is busy with Jailer 2, the sequel to Nelson Dilipkumar's 2023 hit. The film promises to up the ante as Muthuvel Pandian will face even bigger threats. Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar are likely to return, while Mithun Chakraborty and Vidya Balan are expected to play key roles.