Director Cibi Chakaravarthi has joined Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated collaboration, Thalaivar 173, the makers announced on Saturday, January 3, 2026, through a social media post. Earlier, filmmaker Sundar C was attached to the project; however, he later decided to step back from it.
The film is produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI). The banner made the announcement by sharing a poster with the subtitle, “Every family has a hero.” The upcoming film will have music by Anirudh Ravichander.
Notably, Cibi is known for directing the Sivakarthikeyan starrer Don(2022). This is a life coming a full circle to Cibi, an ardent Rajini fan, who, according to speculations, had narrated a script to Rajini a few years ago. It remains unknown if this is the same story or a fresh pitch.
Earlier, days after being roped in as the director for the movie in November last year, Sundar C stepped back from the project. The seasoned director said that he had to quit the film due to “unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.” Sundar had directed Rajinikanth in Arunachalam (1997) and Kamal Haasan in Anbe Sivam (2003).
Explaining his decision, Sundar had written in the press release, “In life, there are moments when we must follow the path laid out for us, even if it diverges from our dreams. My association with these two icons (Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan) goes back a long way. I will always hold them in the highest regard.”
Thalaivar 173 is set to bring together Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth after 46 years. The project was confirmed by Haasan while speaking at the NEXA SIIMA Awards 2025. It will be released by Red Giant Movies during Pongal 2027.
