Rajinikanth revealed at the Dharman launch that the project passed through four directors before finally taking shape with Ashwath Marimuthu. He disclosed that KS Ravikumar was the first filmmaker attached, followed by Sundar C, who exited due to prior commitments, and then Cibi Chakravarthy, whose version revolved around nuclear scientists and was planned to be shot in Russia and Afghanistan — an ambitious concept that required a different level of planning and budget.

Rajinikanth also spoke about the long road to getting the RKFI collaboration off the ground. He recalled Kamal Haasan extending the invitation years ago when the banner's office was inaugurated, but said both of them got busy and the project kept getting deferred. It was only in their most recent conversation that he sensed Kamal's firm resolve. "I agreed immediately," he said.

On Ashwath Marimuthu, Rajinikanth was warm and encouraging, saying he loved Dragon for its entertainment value and strong message. He made clear that the responsibility of the film was not on the director alone. "Cinema is teamwork and all of us will work towards making it successful," he said.

Rajinikanth also confirmed his reunion with Simran, saying audiences felt their Petta portions were too brief, and promised stronger scenes and characters this time. Dharman begins shooting on Thursday with Rajinikanth portraying a "deadly doctor." Anirudh composes the music, Niketh Bommi handles cinematography and Pradeep E Ragav edits the film.