Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated 173rd film, previously known only as Thalaivar 173, was officially titled Dharman on Wednesday. The announcement was accompanied by a first-look poster depicting the superstar as a surgeon, scalpel in hand, standing over a fallen man. Among the many confirmed members of the technical crew was editor Pradeep E Raghav, the identical editor who was suspended by the Southern India Film Editors Association just two months earlier over the piracy leak of Vijay’s Jana Nayagan.
Jana Nayagan Editor Pradeep E Raghav Suspended For Leak Joins Dharman
The title and poster were revealed by Kamal Haasan, whose production house, Raaj Kamal Movies International, is backing the film, in a post on X that read, “Dharmame vellum,” meaning “dharma alone will win.” Directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, known for Dragon and Oh My Kadavule, the film also stars Simran, Raashi Khanna, and Yogi Babu, with music by Anirudh Ravichander—marking his fifth collaboration with Rajinikanth—and cinematography by Niketh Bommi. The launch was marked with a proper pooja ceremony in Chennai. Sources near the team told SCREEN that Pradeep E Ragav filed an apology to the association, which has accepted it and asked him to proceed working within the industry as an editor.
🥳🙏🏼Blessed 😍🙌🏻 https://t.co/j2vScWTbkN
— Pradeep E Ragav (@PradeepERagav) June 24, 2026
What Happened Earlier?
Raghav’s name appearing within the credits is notable, given what happened earlier this 12 months. In April 2026, Jana Nayagan, billed as Vijay’s final film before his move into politics, was hit by a significant piracy leak while it was still awaiting censor certification. The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing eventually arrested sixteen people in reference to the case, with investigators identifying a contract assistant editor as the one that accessed the footage without authorisation at an editing studio and circulated a whole copy online.
Raghav, who was credited because the editor on the film, was in a roundabout way answerable for the leak itself. SIFEA’s own statement on the time clarified this distinction. Nonetheless, the association still suspended his membership on April 17, citing negligence and recurring violations of rules around hiring non-union members as assistant editors across his projects, including Jana Nayagan. The suspension meant SIFEA withdrew all skilled cooperation and support from him and urged other industry bodies to back the motion.
Despite that episode, Raghav now finds himself entrusted with editing one of the vital closely watched Tamil movies currently in production. Dharman has faced a difficult road even before the leak controversy. The project was originally announced with director Sundar C on the helm, who later stepped away, citing unexpected circumstances. Filmmaker Cibi Chakaravarthi was then brought on board, with a poster carrying the tagline “Every Family Has A Hero” and a planned Pongal 2027 release, before he also exited. Earlier this month, Ashwath Marimuthu was confirmed as the brand new director.
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Also Read: Jana Nayagan: Vijay Thalapathy Starrer’s Editor Pradeep E Raghav Suspended Over Leak Controversy; Madras HC Blocks Pirated Film Online
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