Mumbai: Rajinikanth and Nayanthara are finally reuniting on screen after five years. The two will star in the upcoming Tamil film Dharman, produced by Kamal Haasan and directed by Ashwath Marimuthu.
The makers announced Nayanthara’s entry into the film on 25 October with a poster on Instagram showing the two facing each other in a dark corridor.
“The aura is double. Welcoming the one and only Nayanthara to Dharman,” they wrote. Nayanthara commented, saying: ”Let’s start.”
The actors last worked together in Annaatthe (2021). Before that, they appeared in Chandramukhi (2005), Kuselan (2008) and Darbar (2020). Nayanthara also appeared in the song ‘Balleilakka’ in Rajinikanth’s Sivaji: The Boss (2007).
Dharman was announced in June this year and is being made by Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International production house. Simran, Raashii Khanna and Yogi Babu are also part of the cast. Marimuthu, who has previously directed Oh My Kadavule (2020) and Dragon (2025), is working with Rajinikanth for the first time. Anirudh Ravichander will be composing the music for the film.
Not much has been revealed about the story yet. The film is expected to be an action drama, and an earlier poster showed Rajinikanth dressed as a doctor in an operating theatre, holding a bloodied scalpel. There is also no word yet on Nayanthara’s character.
But fans already have their guesses. On Reddit’s r/kollywood forum, several users brought up her roles in Darbar and Annaatthe, wondering if she would have a small part again.
“Let me guess. Flashback appearance in which she has 5-15 appearances and an Anirudh song. And then she dies,” one user wrote.
Another hoped that she would not be playing Rajinikanth’s romantic partner.
“Hopefully she’s just a character in the film and not another pair. Maybe Raashi’s friend or colleague?” the user wrote.
Not everyone was happy about the casting. One person commented, “Dharman expectation dropped.”
Another, however, liked the poster and thought, “Thalaivar looks cool in silhouette”.
The film has completed three shooting schedules so far. There have been reports that it will release around Pongal 2027, but the makers haven’t announced a date yet.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)