Kamal Haasan to produce friend Rajinikanth’s 173rd film

The film will hit theatres in January 2027 on Pongal, and be released by Red Giant Movies, the production owned by the DMK’s first family.

Chennai: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s 173rd film to be directed by popular filmmaker Sundar C will be bankrolled by Raajkamal Films International owned by his friend of 50 years, the legendary Kamal Haasan. 

The film will hit theatres in January 2027 on the ocassion of the harvest festival of Tamils -- Pongal -- and be released by Red Giant Movies, the production owned by the DMK’s first family. 

Announcing the film, Kamal Haasan said the landmark collaboration not only unites two towering forces of Indian cinema but also celebrates their five decades of friendship and brotherhood. 

“A bond that continues to inspire generations of artists and audiences alike,” Kamal Haasan said. The film will commemorate 44 years of Raajkamal Films International.

“Thalaivar173 unites Superstar Rajinikanth’s magnetic screen presence with Sundar C’s direction, in a landmark production envisioned by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran,” a statement from the production house said.

Rajini’s 171st film Coolie hit the screens on August 14, 2025 and his 172nd film will be Jailer 2. 

The announcement also comes close on the heels of Kamal Haasan said he and Rajinikanth will reunite on the silver screen for a Tamil movie after 46 years.

Though the two actors – both introduced to Tamil cinema by the legendary K Balachander – had been planning to do a film together, the project never took off. 

Speaking about coming together with Rajinikanth in September, Kamal Haasan said both were united long ago but decided to chart their own course as filmmakers and producers were splitting a biscuit and giving them half each. 

“We wanted one biscuit each. We enjoyed that one biscuit and we have now come to a decision that half a biscuit is enough. We are happy. We will come together,” said Kamal Haasan.

“It may be big news from the business angle, but the decision to come together was taken long back. We always wanted to produce each other’s films but it never happened,” he added. 

Kamal and Rajinikanth have been friends ever since they first met on the sets of Aboorva Raagangal, the debut film of the Tamil superstar. After appearing together in over a dozen films – most of them were blockbusters -- the two decided not to act together in 1979. 

 Though their films clashed at the box office, the two veteran actors continued to build their bond with Rajinikanth, even calling Kamal Haasan his “elder brother in cinema.” 

The last movie they appeared together was in 1979-film Alavuddinum Albutha Vilakkum, though they did guest roles in each other’s films for a few years but they too stopped in early 1980s.