Thalaivar 173 Title Reveal Set for June 24 as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan Project Faces Director Questions

A title announcement after months of changes

Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 173, backed by Kamal Haasan, is scheduled to reveal its title on June 24, 2026, at 10 am, according to an announcement posted by Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI) on June 23. The reveal marks the next public step for a film that was first announced on November 5, 2025, with a theatrical release planned for Pongal 2027.

The latest announcement arrives after changes in the film's creative leadership. Sundar C was originally named as director before withdrawing. RKFI subsequently announced Cibi Chakaravarthi as his replacement and Anirudh as music composer. More recent reporting has described a possible departure by Cibi and speculation about Ashwath Marimuthu taking over, while the title announcement itself omitted director and further crew details.

Cibi remains the most recently announced director in the project's formal updates described so far. His reported departure and Ashwath's possible appointment await confirmation. The exact filming timetable, remaining cast, final release date and whether Haasan will act in Thalaivar 173 also remain unannounced.

For audiences, the central collaboration is already defined: Rajinikanth is the leading actor, while Haasan and R. Mahendran are backing the production. Their professional reunion connects a new film to a relationship that began with Rajinikanth's screen debut in 1975.

The June announcement shifts attention from the project's temporary name to its public identity. It also follows months in which the director changed and Haasan openly discussed the search for a story that would satisfy his leading actor.

What the November launch promised

Haasan announced Thalaivar 173 on social media on November 5, 2025. The launch named Sundar C as director and placed the project under RKFI, with Haasan and Mahendran as producers. Red Giant Movies was named as presenter and distributor.

RKFI used the announcement to mark 44 years of the production banner and celebrate the friendship between its founder and Rajinikanth. In its press note, the company described the personal relationship behind the collaboration:

This landmark collaboration not only unites two towering forces of Indian cinema but also celebrates five decades of friendship and brotherhood between Superstar Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

The makers also called the film a "magnum opus," signalling the scale of their ambition. The latest reporting identifies Mahendran's Turmeric Media as another banner backing the project, alongside RKFI. No production budget has been disclosed.

Why Sundar C stepped away

Sundar C's appointment brought an established connection with both stars. He directed Rajinikanth in Arunachalam, released in 1997, and worked with Haasan on Anbe Sivam in 2003. Those earlier films gave the initial team a shared professional history as well as a personal one.

Sundar later withdrew, describing the reason in his statement as "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances." Later reporting attributed his departure to creative differences. His own public explanation remained broader, and he expressed respect for both actors and appreciation for their early discussions.

Haasan addressed the withdrawal when speaking to the media at Chennai airport. He said Sundar had already explained his decision in an official statement and that he had nothing further to add about it. Instead, the producer focused on choosing a story Rajinikanth wanted to make.

At that stage, the project was still searching for its creative direction. Haasan said new directors could be considered, making the strength of the story the deciding factor in how the production would proceed.

Haasan put Rajinikanth's approval at the centre

Haasan's airport comments offered a direct explanation of his approach as producer. He described the leading actor's approval as central to selecting the script:

As a producer, it is healthy to choose a story that my star likes.

Haasan then explained that the team would continue hearing stories until Rajinikanth was satisfied:

We will keep listening to the story until Rajinikanth likes it. We will keep searching for the right script until he is satisfied.

A script is the written foundation of a film, setting out its story, characters and scenes. Haasan's comments showed that, during the period after Sundar's exit, the choice of story was still being discussed alongside the question of who would direct.

Haasan also said he and Rajinikanth might explore another script for a future film together. Asked about the kind of story they were considering, he replied:

Expect the unexpected.

Cibi's appointment and the latest uncertainty

RKFI later announced Cibi Chakaravarthi as director, with Haasan and Mahendran producing and Anirudh composing the music. Cibi had directed the Sivakarthikeyan film Don, released in 2022. The announcement gave Thalaivar 173 a new named creative team after Sundar's departure.

The production statement said filming would begin shortly and that further cast, technical crew and schedule details would follow. It retained the Pongal 2027 release plan.

Subsequent reporting described a possible exit by Cibi and named Ashwath Marimuthu among the directors being considered. Ashwath directed Dragon, the 2025 film starring Pradeep Ranganathan. The June title announcement did not name either director.

The difference between an announced appointment and a reported possibility matters here. RKFI publicly named Cibi; the later discussion about Ashwath concerns a potential replacement. The next detailed production announcement will determine which director is taking the film into shooting.

A partnership reaching back to 1975

Rajinikanth and Haasan first worked together in Apoorva Raagangal in 1975, the film that introduced Rajinikanth to cinema. The November 2025 announcement came 50 years after that debut, giving a precise basis for RKFI's celebration of five decades of friendship.

Their shared films include Moondru Mudichu, Pathinaru Vayathinile, Aadu Puli Attam, Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu, Thappu Thalangal, Aval Appadithaan, Alavuddinum Arbutha Vilakkum and Ninaithale Inikkum. Their later joint appearances included the Tamil film Thillu Mullu in 1981 and the Hindi film Geraftaar in 1985.

Rajinikanth expressed interest in working with Haasan again at the audio launch for Coolie. Haasan subsequently spoke about a reunion at another event, before the November production announcement gave the collaboration a project name and release window.

More recent reporting also describes a separate film directed by Nelson in which Rajinikanth and Haasan would appear together, with music by Anirudh. For Thalaivar 173, the announced arrangement remains Rajinikanth in the lead and Haasan as producer.

How the project reached the title reveal

Thalaivar 173 has developed through several announcements rather than a single uninterrupted launch. The main steps show how its production partnership has continued while its directing arrangements have changed:

• 1975: Rajinikanth and Haasan first work together in Apoorva Raagangal.
• November 5, 2025: Haasan announces Thalaivar 173 with Sundar C directing and a Pongal 2027 release planned.
• After the launch: Sundar withdraws, and Haasan discusses the continuing search for a script Rajinikanth approves.
• In a subsequent RKFI announcement: Cibi Chakaravarthi is named director, with Anirudh composing the music.
• June 23, 2026: RKFI announces a title reveal for June 24 at 10 am, without naming a director in that announcement.

The dates of Sundar's withdrawal and Cibi's appointment were not specified in the accounts of those developments. The next scheduled public milestone is the June 24 title reveal, followed by the previously announced Pongal 2027 release window.

Where Thalaivar 173 fits in Rajinikanth's schedule

Rajinikanth enters the project after Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, reportedly earned more than Rs 500 crore worldwide and ranked as the fourth highest grossing Indian film of 2025. Its ensemble included Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Rachita Ram, Upendra and Aamir Khan.

Rajinikanth is also returning as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian in Nelson's Jailer 2, the sequel to the 2023 film Jailer. The latest account places that film's release later in 2026, ahead of Thalaivar 173's planned Pongal opening in 2027.

Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, gives Thalaivar 173 a specific holiday period to target. With June 2026 bringing a title announcement and the release still planned for the following January festival, the next production details will explain how filming fits into that calendar.

The immediate development is therefore concrete but limited: the makers have scheduled the unveiling of the film's name. Rajinikanth's starring role, Haasan and Mahendran's production involvement, and the previously announced music appointment give the project its core identity while further production decisions await a public update.

Key Points

• RKFI has scheduled the Thalaivar 173 title reveal for June 24, 2026, at 10 am.
• Rajinikanth leads the film, backed by Kamal Haasan and R. Mahendran.
• Sundar C withdrew after being named director at the November 5, 2025, launch.
• Cibi Chakaravarthi was subsequently announced as director, with Anirudh composing the music.
• Later reports about Cibi's departure and Ashwath Marimuthu's possible appointment await confirmation.
• The project has been announced for a theatrical release during Pongal 2027.