Kamal Haasan folded his hands and thanked Rajinikanth for staying in the industry long enough to make this film. That moment said everything. ‘Dharman’ is 40 years of friendship finally on screen.
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Four decades ago, two of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars were on a flight to Bombay. People kept asking them to do a film together. That conversation never went anywhere. Until now.
Thalaivar 173 has a title. It is called ‘Dharman’. And it finally has a director too.
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The project went through three director changes before landing on Ashwath Marimuthu. He was announced at an event in Chennai where both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were present.
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Kamal Haasan is producing the film. Rajinikanth is starring in it. The announcement event made clear that this is personal for both of them.
Kamal spoke at the event about how this project has been four decades in the making.
“Once, during a flight to Bombay, people kept asking us to do a film together. But acting in the same film then would mean sharing a biscuit. So, we decided we would both make a film, but either I would produce it or he would. We have been talking like that for 40 years now,” he said.
He also spoke about their friendship spanning 50 years. Rajinikanth started in supporting roles. Within three years, both men were equal stars.
“Even when we opened this office three to four years ago, this is the person I called. We stood on the terrace and spoke about it. And now, we are doing two films together,” Kamal said.
He also addressed Rajinikanth directly at the event. “Thank you for being in the market till I made this film,” he said, folding his hands.
Director Ashwath Marimuthu gave the audience a sense of what to expect from the film without revealing too much.
“It’s a family-oriented thriller. My favourite film of Rajinikanth’s is Padayappa from 1999, and of Kamal sir’s is Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu from 2006. So, I hope you understood — think of it as a mix of the two,” he said.
Padayappa is one of Rajinikanth’s most beloved films. It is a family drama with a strong emotional core. Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu is a gritty crime thriller directed by Gautham Menon. The combination Ashwath is describing sits somewhere between the two worlds.
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