The team behind Rajinikanth’s upcoming film, tentatively titled Thalaivar 173, has shared a new update from the project. A recently released still shows director Cibi Chakravarthi holding the film’s bound script, indicating that the pre-production stage has been completed and the team is preparing to begin principal photography soon. The post was captioned “Arambikalama,” referencing the popular line from Kamal Haasan’s Vikram.

The film is produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under the Raaj Kamal Films International banner. In the image shared by the makers, Cibi Chakravarthi is seen handing over what appears to be the bound script to Mahendran.

Initially, director Sundar C was attached to helm the project but later stepped away citing unavoidable circumstances. Reports at the time suggested that Rajinikanth was not satisfied with the earlier screenplay, after which Kamal Haasan suggested developing a script that better suits the superstar’s screen presence. The makers later brought Don director Cibi Chakravarthi on board to direct the film.

The project is currently planned for a Pongal 2027 release, a timeline the makers reiterated in their latest update. The film’s tagline, “Every family has a hero,” hints that the story could revolve around a family-oriented theme. Anirudh scores music for the film.