Rajinikanth's 'Thalaivar 173' gets new director after Sundar C's exit
What's the story
Director Cibi Chakaravarthi has been announced as the new director for the upcoming film Thalaivar 173, starring superstar Rajinikanth and produced by actor Kamal Haasan. The announcement was made by Raaj Kamal Films International on Saturday, January 3. This comes after filmmaker Sundar C's exit from the project last year due to "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances." The film is set to release on Pongal 2027.
Director's statement
Chakaravarthi expressed gratitude for the opportunity
Chakaravarthi, who made his directorial debut with the 2022 coming-of-age comedy Don, expressed his excitement about directing Thalaivar 173. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to say, "Once a small-town boy's big dream was to meet his favorite star 'SUPER STAR' & take a picture with him." And today is that day. #Thalaivar173 Day." He added that he would put his heart and soul into keeping up the trust placed in him by Rajinikanth and Haasan.
Twitter Post
See the announcement here
Celebrations begin#Arambikalama#Thalaivar173#SuperStarPongal2027@rajinikanth@Dir_Cibi@anirudhofficial#Mahendran@APIfilms@homescreenent@RKFI@turmericmediaTM@magizhmandrampic.twitter.com/abzvPfuEf9
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) January 3, 2026
Film details
'Thalaivar 173' marks the reunion of Rajinikanth and Haasan
Thalaivar 173 will be a special project as it marks the reunion of Rajinikanth and Haasan after 46 years. The film will be released by Red Giant Movies. Anirudh Ravichander has been roped in to compose the music for this much-awaited collaboration. The title, Thalaivar 173, is a tentative one and will change before the release.
Director's departure
Sundar's exit from 'Thalaivar 173' sparked speculation
Sundar was initially announced as the director of Thalaivar 173 in November last year. However, he later stepped back from the project. His wife, actor-politician Khushbu Sundar, dismissed rumors of a rift over script differences as "hearsay." Interestingly, Sundar has directed Rajinikanth in Arunachalam (1997) and Haasan in Anbe Sivam (2003).