The superstar’s 173rd film officially becomes Dharman, and the internet has a lot of feelings about it.
After months of speculation, director changes, and growing fan impatience, Rajinikanth’s 173rd film finally has a name. On June 24, 2026, Kamal Haasan’s production house Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI) officially unveiled the title Dharman along with a first-look poster that has since taken over Tamil film social media.
The poster is hard to miss. Rajinikanth stands in blood-stained blue surgical scrubs, sunglasses on, one leg propped up on what appears to be a defeated enemy, a scalpel gripped in his hand all inside a dramatic operating theatre. The tagline reads “The Deadly Doctor,” and underneath the Tamil caption “தர்மமே வெல்லும்” meaning “Dharma will prevail.”
If that image sounds cinematic, it is. And it looks like that’s very much the point.
A Long Time Coming
Getting to this title reveal has not been a smooth ride. Rajinikanth himself admitted at the film’s official pooja ceremony that Ashwath Marimuthu is actually the fourth director to be attached to this project.
It started with KS Ravikumar, a veteran who had previously worked with Rajinikanth multiple times, but things didn’t pan out. Then came Sundar C, who described the project as a dream come true before stepping away citing prior commitments. After him, filmmaker Cibi Chakravarthy came on board and developed a story about a nuclear scientist one that required shooting in Russia and Afghanistan and dealt with deeply sensitive subject matter.
Rajinikanth liked Cibi’s story. But it was complicated. “It was a very time-consuming project,” the superstar said, and eventually that one was shelved too.
Then came Ashwath Marimuthu the filmmaker behind the emotional romantic hit Oh My Kadavule and the recent blockbuster Dragon. He’s younger, energetic, and clearly shares a vision that clicked with everyone in the room.
What to Expect from Dharman
Director Ashwath Marimuthu has been upfront about what kind of film this will be. Speaking at the launch event, he described Dharman as a family-oriented thriller built around a stylish, morally driven surgeon — not your average quiet doctor, but someone who carries serious swagger and deadlier intentions when pushed.
Insiders have drawn comparisons to a blend of two Tamil classics: Rajinikanth’s own Padayappa for the mass hero energy, and Kamal Haasan’s Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu for its grounded thriller tension. That’s a bold combination to promise, and fans are watching closely.
On the music front, Marimuthu confirmed the film will have 8 songs, each in a different genre a genuinely ambitious musical structure. Composing all of them is Anirudh Ravichander, marking his fifth collaboration with Rajinikanth after Petta, Darbar, Jailer, and Coolie. Marimuthu said shooting would kick off with an intro song for Rajinikanth described as a full-on “agmark Anirudh track” packed with every element fans love about the composer’s style.
Rounding out the technical team: Niketh Bommi handles cinematography, Pradeep E Ragav does the editing, and National Award-winning stunt duo Anbariv choreographs the action. The cast includes Simran, Raashi Khanna, and Yogi Babu, with reports suggesting filmmaker Mysskin will also appear on screen. There’s even speculation about a Shankar cameo and a possibility that Malayalam actor Basil Joseph plays Rajinikanth’s son.
Cameras were set to roll from June 25.
Kamal Haasan’s 40-Year Dream
Perhaps the most talked-about moment from the launch wasn’t the poster at all it was what Kamal Haasan said.
The legendary actor and producer described himself as little more than a “namesake producer” on this film, turning the usual dynamic on its head. “Usually a producer would be more enthusiastic and vigilant throughout the process,” he said, “but here, the roles are reversed. It was Rajinikanth who consistently kept the tension on his shoulders.”
For Kamal, producing a film for Rajinikanth isn’t just business it’s personal. He called it the fulfilment of a 40-year dream. The two icons, who have shared one of Tamil cinema’s most celebrated friendships and rivalries, are now formally working together. And Kamal confirmed it won’t stop at one film he and Rajinikanth are set to collaborate on two projects under this partnership, with a second film reportedly to be helmed by director Nelson.
The Internet Reacts
The first look dropped, and predictably, the internet lost its collective mind just not entirely in the way the makers might have hoped.
Plenty of fans celebrated. Many praised the creative detail in the poster, noting how the surgical theatre lights were cleverly arranged to spell out “STAR” a subtle nod to Rajinikanth’s legendary status that didn’t go unnoticed. Others were simply thrilled to see the Rajinikanth–Kamal Haasan combination finally becoming a reality.
But not everyone was won over. A vocal section of fans mocked the poster’s design, with some calling it low-effort or questioning whether it was AI-generated. Others drew comparisons to B-movie posters, dragging out meme references. One unexpected talking point: the visual similarities between Rajinikanth’s casual look in the poster and young star Pradeep Ranganathan’s fashion sensibility a comparison that was once only ever made the other way around.
Then there’s the quieter, more reflective response. Some long-time fans openly admitted that after a string of post-Jailer disappointments, the excitement just wasn’t hitting the same way anymore. “The blind fanboy hype might be gone,” wrote one, “but the craft behind this team is real.” They’re still hoping. Just more cautiously than before.
What This Means
At 75, Rajinikanth is still choosing to take on ambitious, high-concept roles. A deadly surgeon. A family thriller. Eight songs. A new director. A new producer who also happens to be one of his closest friends and greatest contemporaries in Indian cinema.
Dharman doesn’t have a release date yet. But it now has a name, a look, and a whole lot of expectation riding on it. Whether Ashwath Marimuthu can deliver on the promise of blending mass heroics with a compelling thriller while doing justice to a Rajinikanth–Kamal Haasan partnership that has been 40 years in the making is the question Tamil cinema will be watching play out on set and eventually, on screen.
Vestiworld | Tamil Cinema | June 24, 2026
