Rajinikanth Film Thalaivar 173 Titled Dharman With Ashwath Marimuthu as Director

On Tuesday, June 24, the title of superstar Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated 173rd film was officially announced as Dharman at a launch event in Chennai. The announcement also confirmed that director Ashwath Marimuthu has officially replaced Cibi Chakaravarthi to helm the project.

The film is being produced by actor-producer Kamal Haasan’s banner, Raaj Kamal Films International. At the launch event in Chennai, the makers unveiled the first-look poster for Dharman, which depicts Rajinikanth as a surgeon with a violent streak under the tagline, "The Deadly Doctor."

The film features an ensemble cast including Simran, Raashi Khanna, and Yogi Babu in lead roles. The technical team consists of music composer Anirudh Ravichander, cinematographer Niketh Bommi, and editor Pradeep E Ragav.

During the pooja ceremony, Rajinikanth addressed the multiple directorial changes the project underwent before Marimuthu was selected. The film was initially set to be directed by K.S. Ravikumar, followed by Sundar C., who exited due to prior commitments. Cibi Chakaravarthy was then brought on board.

"I really liked Cibi’s story, but it was a very sensitive subject," Rajinikanth explained. "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 roped in Ashwath Marimuthu."

Kamal Haasan also shared his reflections on collaborating with Rajinikanth after four decades. He recalled how they decided years ago that they should co-produce a film together.

"Then 40 years went by, and a few years ago, when I started this Raaj Kamal Films International office, we spoke about it again, and we started searching for the right script," Haasan said. "I am proud that those two youngsters who were sitting under the tree at AVM Studios have now travelled for so long in the film industry."

Dharman continues a trend of films in Rajinikanth's career featuring "Dharma" in the title, following 1988's Dharmathin Thalaivan and 1991's Dharma Durai.