Thalaivar 173: Is Ashwath Marimuthu Directing a Rajinikanth Film? RKFI's Birthday Tribute Suggests So

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Kamal Films International, on Monday, June 2, 2026, shared a birthday tribute for the director Ashwath Marimuthu, and the Tamil fans haven’t stopped since then. The birthday tribute post included a Video attachment, styled with cinematic visuals and signed off with "From Imagination to Inspiration" as the words ending the video. However, the post didn’t mention any film, but the fans of Thalaivar 173 quickly connected the dots from the post to Rajnikanth’s long-pending 173rd project. With the film having gone through two directors already and still no fresh name in the chair, the post has sparked fresh speculation that Ashwath Marimuthu might be the final one to step in for the project.

A Project That Has Already Seen Two Directors Walk Away

Thalaivar 173 was announced as a prestige collaboration starring Rajanikanth and Kamal Hassan, produced under the banner of Raaj Kamal Films International. The film has reportedly been scheduled for a Pongal 2027 release. This project was earlier directed by Sundar C, as the first director attached to the project, but he stepped away, citing unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.

Cibi Chakravarthy, known for the Sivakarthikeyan starrer Don, came on board as a replacement and publicly described it as a dream come true moment for him. However, reportedly in April 2026, Cibi exited too ahead of the film’s pooja. Since then, the director’s chair has been empty, with Marimuthu speculated to be the next name, and the June 2, 2026, post reignited the speculations.

What the birthday post actually says

The video posted by RKFI’s X handle was a high-production and intentional piece, which carried a tagline that reads more like a creative brief than a birthday caption for Marimuthu. Whereas, Ashwath also responded by thanking RKFI for the “surprise.” AGS Entertainment the banner behind Marimuthu’s blockbuster Dragon, joined in to wish the “OG Dragon” as well. Fans who have been tracking the upcoming Rajnikanth project keenly commented on the birthday post, with one user saying, “Indirect confirmation is here. Official confirmation soon. #Thalaivar173.”

What added weight to the speculations is the reports suggesting that Marimuthu reportedly pitched a story to Rajnikanth well before any of these developments became public. With Rajnikanth expected to wrap up his current commitments before production begins, and if the Pongal deadline is confirmed for the film, then an official announcement from RKFI can be the next update on the Thalaivar 173 project.