Rajinikanth arrives at Dharman set in Mysuru by auto rickshaw

Rajinikanth surprised fans in Mysuru by arriving at the set of his upcoming film Dharman in an auto rickshaw on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, Hindustan Times reports. Videos of the actor's arrival, wearing a maroon shirt and veshti, went viral on social media. Fans cheered as he waved and later stepped out to greet them, with children recreating a gesture from his 2002 film Baba.

The announced cast includes Rajinikanth, Simran, Raashii Khanna and Yogi Babu, but leaked videos and pictures hint that Telugu actors Ram Pothineni and Sreeleela may also be part of the project, though the team has not confirmed this, Hindustan Times says. Times Now adds that Raashii Khanna posted and then deleted a picture with Ram and Rajinikanth. Telugu360 reports that Raashii later shared pictures from Mysuru featuring Ram and Rajinikanth, which has added to confirmation around his casting. Dharman is directed by Ashwath Marimuthu and produced by Kamal Haasan. The first-look poster shows Rajinikanth as a doctor with the tagline 'The deadly doctor'. The film is slated for a Sankranthi 2027 release, Telugu360 reports.

Update, 30 September 2026: Telugu360 reports that Raashii Khanna later shared pictures from Mysuru featuring Ram Pothineni and Rajinikanth, which the outlet says adds to confirmation around his casting, though the makers have not officially announced it. Telugu360 also reports that Dharman is slated for a Sankranthi 2027 release, a date not given by the other outlets.