Superstar Rajinikanth and legendary actor Kamal Haasan recently announced a project, tentatively titled Thalaivar 173, bankrolled by the latter. With the movie being announced and Sundar C attached as the director, the filmmaker later announced that he would be opting out of the project.

Kamal Haasan opens up about Sundar C’s exit from Thalaivar 173

According to a report by Hindustan Times, Kamal Haasan was spotted at the airport, where he revealed details about the project and why Sundar C stepped back from it.

The Thug Life actor said, “Sundar C has explained the reason for his withdrawal from the project through a press release. I don’t have anything to add to it. As an investor, I want a script that my star likes for the film. That is the healthy way to go about it.”

He added, “We will keep searching for the right stories until he likes it. Until my star is satisfied with the script, we will keep scouting for it. We are currently in the process of finalising a quality script.”

When questioned about what kind of movie audiences could expect, he said, “Expect the unexpected.”

Sundar C’s departure from Thalaivar 173

For those unaware, Sundar C had recently released an official press release stating that he would no longer be part of the project. The director expressed that with a heavy heart, he had to step away from it.

Sundar explained that, due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, he had made the difficult decision to withdraw from Thalaivar 173. He added that the venture, featuring the legendary Rajinikanth and produced by Kamal Haasan, had indeed been a dream come true for him.

The filmmaker emphasized that, even though he holds immense respect for both actors, he had no option but to step away from the directorial duties.

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s next

Rajinikanth is currently working on his film Jailer 2, slated to release in mid-June 2026. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the movie is a sequel to 2023’s Jailer.

Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan will next appear in the tentatively titled KH 237, directed by Anbarivu. Moreover, both actors are also expected to reunite on the big screen for a project after more than four decades.

Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate has entered its sixth week on a strong footing, collecting over Rs. 3 crore on its 6th Friday yesterday. That marks practically zero drop from last week, which is an incredible staying power, especially when the previous week saw a huge growth and was operating at a very high level of collections.

Laalo crossed the Rs. 50 crore mark yesterday, becoming the 2nd Gujarati film to do so. Chaal Jeevi Laiye is said to have grossed Rs. 50 crore. With Rs. 52 crore, Laalo might already be the biggest Gujarati film ever, but since the exact box office grosses for Chaal Jeevi Laiye are unavailable, it’s tough to be sure. That said, it’s a matter of just a day as Laalo will be nearing the Rs. 60 crore mark today and will certainly ascend to the top. 

If the film gets normal weekend growth, it will be targeting Rs. 15 crore or so weekend, which will take its total gross by Sunday just under Rs. 65 crore. From there, hitting Rs. 80 crore, which seemed like a probable target last week, is a cakewalk. The target is now much higher. At this point, Rs. 90 crore plus seems to be certainly there with a very good shot at Rs. 100 crore. 

Remember, this is the first year ever that the Gujarati film industry has grossed Rs. 100 crore in a full year, and now, one single film could go on to collect that much or more. Gujarat is a big state at the box office, with the top-grossing film grossing over Rs. 130 crore, but the home industry has traditionally remained in the backseat, that is, until now.

The Box Office Collections of Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate in India are as follows: