Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s film sees director change after Sundar C’s exit; the filmmaker is…

In the ever-evolving world of cinema, casting changes, script revisions, and even director replacements are far from unusual. Big-ticket projects often go through multiple creative shifts before finally taking shape. One such similar case happened with the much-anticipated collaboration between Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

The project, tentatively titled Thalaivar 173, has now witnessed a change at the helm after director Sundar C exited the film. Soon after his exit, speculations of a new director started doing the rounds; however, the makers have since moved swiftly to bring the project back on track.

Sundar C’s exit from the Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan film

The production house had announced on November 5 last year that actor-director Sundar C had been roped in to direct the Rajinikanth-starrer, produced by Kamal Haasan’s banner Raaj Kamal Films International. The announcement, however, received mixed reactions, with many fans hoping for a different filmmaker.

Just days later, on November 13, Sundar C announced his exit from the project, citing “unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.” Soon after, rumours began circulating that his script had been turned down. Addressing the speculation, his wife, actor-politician Khushbu Sundar, dismissed the claims as ‘hearsay’. She also shared pictures with Kamal Haasan and described him as ‘encyclopedia of cinema,’ putting rumours of a rift to rest.

Reacting to the situation, Kamal Haasan said, “As an investor, I want a script that my star likes for the film. That is the healthy way to go about it.”

Cibi Chakravarthi takes over as director

Now after Sundar C’s departure, another director as helmed the project and he is none other than director Cibi Chakravarthi. Produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, the film is expected to hit theatres during Pongal 2027.

Who is Cibi Chakravarthi?

Cibi made his Kollywood debut with the 2022 coming-of-age comedy Don, starring Sivakarthikeyan. After the film’s release, he shared a picture with Rajinikanth and wrote, “Met Superstar @rajinikanth sir, blessed with a conversation for an hour about #DON, life & cinema. His presence was divine, his words were Wisdom & We were on cloud9 When he said ‘What a film, What an emotion’ All we could say is ‘What a Man’ Love you Thalaivar.”

Announcing Thalaivar 173, Cibi wrote, “Once, a small-town boy’s big dream was to meet his favourite star ‘SUPER STAR’ & take a picture with him, which drove his passion towards cinema, and the big dream happened one day. Then he had the biggest dream of directing his Superstar. He came so close, but got missed. Then he continued to believe it would happen one day, and today is that day. #Thalaivar173Day.”

He added, “And I remember Thalaivar saying, ‘Dreams do come true. Miracles do happen.’ At times, life goes beyond dreams and becomes even bigger, with legendary Ulaganayakan, Padma Shri @ikamalhaasan sir and #Mahendran sir as our producer. Grateful forever @rajinikanth sir, @ikamalhaasan sir & #Mahendran sir and I promise to put my heart & soul to keep up the trust.”

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s Upcoming Projects

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have been teasing their collaboration since before the release of the former’s Lokesh Kanagaraj film Coolie in 2025. Kamal was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life and is currently shooting for a yet-to-be-announced project, while Rajinikanth will next be seen in Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer 2.