Premium

Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan’s Thalaivar 173 gets new director after Sundar C’s exit, Cibi Chakravarthy joins the project

The makers announced the appointment of a new director to helm Thalaivar 173, confirming that Cibi Chakravarthy will now be directing the film.

3 min readChennaiUpdated: Jan 3, 2026 12:46 PM IST

Rajinikanth is collaborating with Kamal Haasan for Thalaivar 173.

Thalaivar 173: After getting derailed due to the exit of director Sundar C, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated collaboration is back on track. The makers took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the appointment of a new director to helm the project, confirming that Cibi Chakravarthy will now be directing the film.

The film will see Rajinikanth in the lead role and is being produced by Kamal Haasan under his banner, Raaj Kamal Films International. Sharing the announcement post, the makers wrote, “Every HERO has a FAMILY,” offering a glimpse into the film’s emotional core and hinting at its central theme.

Cibi Chakravarthy rose to prominence with his work on Don. Given the director’s track record of delivering crowd-pleasing entertainers, Cibi is seen as a fitting choice to helm a big-scale commercial project like Thalaivar 173. Earlier, Sundar C was supposed to direct the film but exited the project following creative differences with the makers.

Every HERO has a FAMILY#Arambikalama #Thalaivar173 #SuperStarPongal2027 @rajinikanth @ikamalhaasan @Dir_Cibi @anirudhofficial #Mahendran @APIfilms @homescreenent @RKFI @turmericmediaTM @magizhmandram pic.twitter.com/IkVVMgi3q8

— Raaj Kamal Films International (@RKFI) January 3, 2026

In November, Sundar C had shared a statement confirming that he would no longer be directing Rajinikanth’s 173rd film. However, he did not reveal the exact reason behind opting out of the project, which would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as it marked a collaboration between two of Tamil cinema’s biggest superstars. For the unversed, Sundar C had previously directed Rajinikanth in the cult classic Arunachalam, which was released 28 years ago.

ALSO READ | Who is Riya Shibu, the 21-year-old producer of Vikram’s actioner, now winning hearts with her performance in Nivin Pauly’s Sarvam Maya?

Sundar C noted in his statement, “It is with a heavy heart that I share some important news with you. Due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, I have made the difficult decision to step back from the prestigious project Thalaivar 173.”

He added, “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.”

With Cibi joining the project, pre-production for Thalaivar 173 is now back on track. The team is aiming for a Pongal 2027 release, making it one of the most awaited Tamil films on the horizon.

Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.