Rajinikanth's next, Thalaivar 173, was launched at a grand event on Wednesday. Titled Dharman, the film is helmed by Ashwath Marimuthu and backed by Kamal Haasan under his Raaj Kamal Films International banner. At the event, the Jailer 2 actor started his speech by cryptically hitting back at those criticising his recent moves.
He started by saying, “When they invite me to speak, I get a little nervous. Because whenever I speak, it somehow becomes a problem, either for me or for someone else. If I stay silent, people ask, ‘Why isn’t he speaking? Does he have a ladoo in his mouth?’ But if I speak, they ask, ‘Oh, now you’re speaking?’ Some even say I shouldn’t have spoken at all."
He then came to a conclusion on how he reacts to such criticism. "Over time, I realised something: people who don’t like me are not going to like me no matter what I do. And it’s equally foolish to assume that people who like me will agree with everything I say or do. So we have to be careful," he declared.
While Rajinikanth did not specifically mention which issue he was addressing, the remarks come after he was recently criticised for not wishing the chief minister, Vijay, on his birthday. Previously, he was also called out for not wishing him well when the TVK leader took the oath as the chief minister. In fact, immediately after the Dharman launch event, Rajinikanth was asked by reporters why he didn't wish CM Vijay on his birthday, for which he revealed that he had a private conversation with him.
Over the past few months, Rajinikanth has also found himself at the centre of online criticism and meme culture, with sections of social media revisiting discussions around his decision not to enter politics and circulating narratives suggesting discomfort over Vijay’s recent political momentum.
Meanwhile, Dharman will feature Rajinikanth as a "deadly doctor" as per the makers. Simran and Raashi Khanna are also a part of the cast. 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, plot and extended cast are awaited.
