Rumours of a disagreement between superstar Rajinikanth and filmmaker Ashwath Marimuthu over their upcoming film ‘Dharman’ have been dismissed by the actor’s publicist, who has described the reports circulating online as baseless.
The speculation gained traction after a now-deleted post on X claimed that differences had emerged between the actor and director. Responding to the claims, Rajinikanth’s publicist Riaz K Ahmed said the reports were untrue and expressed confidence in the progress of the film.
Ahmed said he had personally observed Ashwath at the shooting location over several days and praised the director’s energetic approach to filmmaking. He added that the atmosphere on the sets appeared positive and that the project was moving forward smoothly.
Previously announced as ‘Thalaivar 173’, the film underwent several changes during its development before Ashwath Marimuthu was finalised as director. The filmmaker, known for ‘Oh My Kadavule’ and ‘Dragon’, is collaborating with Rajinikanth for the first time on the project.
The film is being produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International. At the title announcement in June, Rajinikanth revealed that K S Ravikumar, Sundar C and Cibi Chakravarthi had been considered to direct the project at different stages, but their respective versions did not materialise.
‘Dharman’ features Simran, Raashii Khanna, Yogi Babu and Ram Pothineni alongside Rajinikanth. Anirudh Ravichander is composing the soundtrack, while Niketh Bommi handles cinematography and Pradeep E Ragav is responsible for editing. Action sequences are being choreographed by the duo Anbariv.
The makers are reportedly targeting a January 2027 release to coincide with the Pongal festival. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is gearing up for the release of Nelson Dilipkumar’s ‘Jailer 2’, which is scheduled to arrive in theatres on October 15. With the latest clarification from his publicist, attention is expected to return to the production of ‘Dharman’ rather than the rumours surrounding its lead actor and director.