Rajinikanth in Thalaivar 171.
Lokesh Kanagaraj released the first look of Rajinikanth from their upcoming film, Thalaivar 171.
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj surprised fans by sharing the first look of his upcoming film with Rajinikanth. Dubbed as Thalaivar 171, Lokesh and Rajinikanth will be collaborating for the first time. Taking to X, Lokesh shared a glittery first look. In the picture, a bearded Rajinikanth was seen sporting ‘handcuffs’ made of watches. He was seen wearing a rugged shirt and a pair of sunglasses. However, Lokesh opted to keep Rajinikanth in a monotone while the watches and his sunglasses were coloured.
Sharing the look, the filmmaker said that he will reveal the title of Thalaivar 171 on April 22. “#Thalaivar171TitleReveal on April 22 ,” he said, while sharing the first look. The poster has sparked rumours of a possible Rolex crossover in the film. For the unversed, Suriya is known as Rolex in Lokesh’s Cinematic Universe aka LCU.
Fans took to the thread and speculated that Rajinikanth’s new film could feature Rolex. ” ROLEX APPAN AH IRKUMOOO (Will it feature Rolex?)” a fan wondered. “Rolex Dady is coming.. #Thalaivar171 ,” added another. “Is Loki saying #Thalaivar171 is ROLEX ka BAAP ” a third fan speculated.
Despite the theories, Lokesh had previously clarified that the film will be a standalone project and not part of his larger cinematic universe (LCU).
During the promotion of Fight Club last year, Lokesh Kanagaraj mentioned that Thalaivar 171 is an action thriller. He plans to finalise the script within two to three months, with filming scheduled to commence in April.
He mentioned that Rajini consistently kept in touch, closely monitoring the film’s progress. Despite any attempts at secrecy, Rajini would catch on to any changes. Lokesh also shared that the upcoming film will feature additional action sequences, marking Rajini’s return to intense action scenes. Rajinikanth, expressing delight, stated that the script intrigued him, and he looks forward to directing in a genre he has never explored before.
Sun Pictures is set to produce Thalaivar 171, written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, featuring music by Anirudh.
