In a major exclusive, Moviecrow can confirm that RKFI has cancelled its agreement with director Cibi Chakravarthy for Thalaivar 173, leaving the Rajinikanth starrer in search of its third director.

The project had generated massive buzz when it was announced — a dream combination of Rajinikanth starring and Kamal Haasan producing, with Cibi Chakravarthy directing. The young filmmaker's previous outing Don was a blockbuster, making his association with the project all the more exciting for fans.

However, this is not the first directorial change the project has witnessed. Earlier, Sundar C was roped in for Thalaivar 173, but the project never took off under him. The team had expected Sundar C to complete the film within Rajinikanth's 35-day callsheet — however, the director felt that the time was not adequate to deliver a big-scale star vehicle of this magnitude. Adding to this, Sundar C was simultaneously working towards his political entry as a candidate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections — a development that was not public knowledge at the time — and all of these factors together contributed to his exit from the project.

Now with Cibi Chakravarthy also parting ways, sources close to Moviecrow reveal that the core issue stems from the script itself. According to our sources, Rajinikanth had initially heard only the gist of the story and gave his nod based on that — but when he listened to the full bound script after confirmation, it was not as convincing as what was originally narrated to him.

Sources further add that Rajinikanth is particularly mindful of his physical limitations and actively avoids stories that demand excessive physical strain. The key criteria RKFI is now looking for in a new director — someone who can handle the superstar efficiently and complete the shoot within a short schedule. RKFI is expected to announce a new director once their choice is finalised, with an official confirmation anticipated soon.

— Exclusively reported by Moviecrow