Sander C talks about ‘a lot of pressure’Sundar C has now addressed his decision in an interview with Behindwoods. Sharing his thoughts, he said, “To be honest, it was a lot of pressure for me. For the last 16 years, I have made films the way I wanted to, based on what I felt would work with the audience. But I don’t have the ability to make people understand this during production. I don’t know how to narrate a film effectively, and at the same time, I get vulnerable easily without putting up a fight.”
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Creative concerns and early exit from “Thalaivar 173”The director spoke further about the complexities of dealing with a film featuring two legendary stars. He explained that such a project would involve multiple voices and expectations, making it difficult for him to maintain his creative vision. “So, if I did a big movie like this, it wouldn’t just be my decisions. I felt the pressure and realized I couldn’t stay true to the project or the people involved,” he added.
That’s why I stayed away from the beginning stage itself.
“Sundar C also said in the interview that he personally informed Rajinikanth about his decision to exit. Director Sibi Chakaravarthy was brought in to take over the project and take it forward.Announcement and exit of “Thalaivar 173”.Sundar C was initially announced as the director of the much-awaited project, tentatively titled ‘Thalaivar 173’.
The film was unveiled in November last year and was expected to target a 2027 Pongal release. However, within days of the official announcement, the director walked away from the project. At the time, he cited “unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances” as the reason for his exit.In a statement issued shortly after he stepped down, Sundar Sy expressed his regret at the missed opportunity. He also spoke about his long-standing association with the two stars and the respect he has for them.
He said: “In life, there are moments when we must follow the path laid out for us, even if it strays from our dreams. My association with these two symbols goes back a long time, and I will always hold them in the highest regard.
The special moments we shared over the past few days I will cherish forever. They have taught me invaluable lessons, and I will continue to seek their inspiration and wisdom as I move forward.”Meanwhile, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are now set to come together for another ambitious project titled ‘KH x RK’. The film is tagged as a major Tamil thriller and is slated to release in 2026. The project is directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, and has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander.Interestingly, the Malayalam film industry witnessed the biggest collaboration ever: the team-up of Mammootty and Mohanlal in the film ‘Patriot’.