Rajinikanth upcoming film officially titled Dharman

The upcoming film of Tamil cinema icon Rajinikanth, long referred to by its tentative title "Thalaivar 173," has been officially named "Dharman." The title was unveiled on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at a launch event in Chennai hosted by the production company Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI), which is backing the project. Actor and politician Kamal Haasan, who founded RKFI, made the announcement and shared the film's first-look poster on social media.

The event also served as the formal launch for the project, which is now confirmed to be directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, known for films like "Oh My Kadavule" and "Dragon." At the launch, Marimuthu described "Dharman" as a medical thriller centered on a stylish and deadly character named Dr. Swag, confirming widespread speculation that Rajinikanth will portray a doctor. The director said the film would be an entertaining family thriller blending elements of "Padayappa" and "Vettaiyadu Vilayadu."

The released poster reinforces this concept, showing Rajinikanth in an operating theatre holding a surgical scalpel, with one foot resting on a slain gangster. The tagline "The Deadly Doctor" accompanies the image.