Days after the commencement of the much-anticipated Rajinikanth's Thalaivar 173, backed by Kamal Haasan, Sundar C who onboarded the film as the director, has seemingly hinted at stepping down from the film. In a now deleted post from Khushbu Sundar's handle, Sundar C had in a statement announced his "difficult decision" to move away from the film due to "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances".

In a long note, he shared, "In life, there are moments when we must follow the path laid out for us, even if it diverges from our dreams. My association with these two icons goes back a long way, and I will always hold them in the highest regard. The special moments we have shared over the past few days will be cherished forever by me. They have taught me invaluable lessons, and I will continue to seek their inspiration and wisdom as I move forward." However, the post has now been removed, sparking discussions regarding his continued association with Thalaivar 173.

Confirming speculations, it was recently officially announced that Sundar C would helm the upcoming yet-to-be-titled Rajinikanth film, which would be backed by Kamal's Raajkamal Films International banner. Through the project, Rajinikanth was set to reunite with Sundar C 28 years after their hit collaboration Arunachalam and was set to hit screens for Pongal 2027. He also worked with Kamal in Anbe Sivam (2003). With Sundar C's latest post, the status of the project seems unclear. Details of what transpired also remains unknown.

While it is unclear if Kamal and Rajinikanth will share screen space in the upcoming film, they last appeared together in Thillu Mullu (1981) in Tamil and Geraftaar (1985) in Hindi.

Sundar C is currently filming Mookuthi Amman 2 with Nayanthara in the lead. Thalaivar 173 will be produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under the Raajkamal Films International banner and distributed by Red Giant Movies.