Actor Rajinikanth opened up about the long journey behind Dharman, his upcoming collaboration with Kamal Haasan under the Raaj Kamal Films International banner, revealing that the project went through multiple iterations and four filmmakers before finally taking shape with director Ashwath Marimuthu.
Speaking at the film’s launch event, Rajinikanth said the collaboration had been in discussion for years. Recalling an earlier conversation with Kamal, he said, “When this office was inaugurated, Kamal sir told me, ‘I’ve opened a big office now. You must do a film for this banner.’ After that, both of us got busy.”
Though the idea resurfaced later, it did not immediately move forward. According to Rajinikanth, it was only during their most recent conversation that he sensed Kamal’s determination. “When we spoke the last time, I could feel through his tone that he was serious about making this happen. I agreed immediately,” he said.
Rajinikanth then revealed that Dharman underwent several creative changes before reaching its current form. “We didn’t have three directors—we had four,” he said with a laugh. He explained that filmmaker KS Ravikumar was initially attached to the project, but that version did not materialise. Director Sundar C later came onboard but exited due to prior commitments. Cibi Chakravarthy then developed another version of the film.
Rajinikanth recalled that Cibi’s script dealt with a sensitive and ambitious subject involving nuclear scientists and weapons and was planned to be shot in locations including Russia and Afghanistan. While he appreciated the idea, he said the scale and subject required a different level of planning and budget.
Eventually, Ashwath Marimuthu came on board, and the project moved ahead. Rajinikanth admitted that he was unusually anxious about the film’s development and said Kamal initially trusted him entirely with the decision. “Kamal sir called and said he wouldn’t listen to the story and asked me to take the call. But I was too tense and insisted that he hear the narration. He liked it too, and that’s how everything came together,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the director, Rajinikanth added that the responsibility of the film does not rest on one person. “We’ve placed our trust in Ashwath Marimuthu. But this is not his burden alone. Cinema is teamwork and all of us will work towards making it successful.”
The actor also praised Ashwath’s previous work. “He is young blood. I loved Dragon. It was entertaining while also dealing with a difficult subject and delivering a strong message. He also worked with an excellent cinematographer and crew,” he said.
Rajinikanth further announced that Dharman will begin shooting on Thursday and confirmed his reunion with Simran after Petta. “The audience enjoyed our portions in Petta but felt they were too brief. This time, we have been given good scenes and strong characters. This film will be a complete entertainer with thrilling elements as well,” he said.
Dharman also stars Raashi Khanna and will see Rajinikanth portray a "deadly doctor" as per the makers. On the technical team, the film has Anirudh as the music composer, Niketh Bommi as the cinematographer and Pradeep E Ragav handling the cuts. Noted action choreographer duo Anbariv are also part of the project. More details about the film's genre and plot are awaited.