Two days after Sundar C hinted at exiting from the much-anticipated Rajinikanth project Thalaivar 173, Kamal Haasan has confirmed the same to the media. Speaking to reporters outside the airport, the actor-politician stated that Sundar C's stance remains the same as his now-deleted post where he announced that he was stepping back from the film due to "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances".
After parting ways, Kamal Haasan said, "As an investor, I want a script that my star likes for the film. That is the healthy way to go about it. We will keep searching for the right stories until he likes it." When probed if they are open to hearing scripts from debutant directors, Kamal Haasan mentioned that they are willing to, as long as the stories are good. To another reporter's question of what kind of stories they are looking at, he noted, "Expect the unexpected," before leaving the location.
In a long note on Thursday, Sundar C shared that him moving away from the film was a "difficult decision. "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," he added in his note.
However, the post was removed , sparking discussions regarding his continued association with Thalaivar 173. With Kamal Haasan's recent statement, his exit has been confirmed. His statement came as a shocker for industry veterans and fans as he revealed his decision just a week after the project was announced by RKFI.
Details of what transpired remains unknown. But reports suggest that Rajinikanth did not like the story narrated by Sundar C although he liked the one-liner of it. However, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan's association for the project stands strong. It will be produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under the Raajkamal Films International banner and distributed by Red Giant Movies. While it is unclear if Kamal and Rajinikanth will share screen space in Thalaivar 173, 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.