KHxRK: Poster of Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan's first film in decades unveiled

In a move that has set Tamil cinema buzzing, producer Red Giant has confirmed that two of the industry’s greatest icons will share the screen again: Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are officially paired for a new film. The announcement follows months of speculation and changing director attachments.

Two Legends. One Frame.

Next update at 12:07 tomorrow. ⏳#KHxRK #RedGiant17 ✨ pic.twitter.com/FrAA4MdBMa

— Red Giant Movies (@RedGiantMovies_) February 19, 2026

Red Giants, which is bankrolling the project, has shared a new poster of the film, which features a vintage Mercedes. The film is tentatively called KHxRK, which denotes the names of the two superstars.

The poster also carries a tagline: 'Some men set rules. Some men just rule.' Looks like the production house will be releasing a series of posters and teasers before the final teaser. The tweet also revealed that the next update will be released on 20th February at 12:07. It is unclear if it will be at midnight or in the afternoon.

Changing directors​

The project’s director slot saw a notable shuffle: it was widely reported that Lokesh Kanagaraj was initially involved in early conversations, then stepped away; filmmaker Sundar C was later linked and formally exited the project during negotiations.

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Lokesh Kanagaraj, in a recent press meet, said that the two superstars preferred a lighter, comedy-leaning approach, and he isn’t suitable for comedy. Hence, the director backed out of the film. Meanwhile, Sundar C, who has earlier directed both Kamal in Anbe Sivam and Rajinikanth in Arunachalam, claimed that he had to leave the film due to "unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.”

It is now speculated that director Nelson Dilipkumar, best known for the 2023 smash hit Jailer (and currently working on Jailer 2), has emerged as the choice for the film, because of his mix of dark-comedy sensibility and crowd-friendly character work matched what the stars wanted.

Significance of the project:

For fans, this is more than casting news: it’s a cultural reunion. The two actors worked extensively together early in their careers (through the 1970s), appearing in a string of K. Balachander-era films and others, but they have not been regular on-screen collaborators for decades. They last acted together in K Balachander’s Thillu Mullu (1981), in which Kamal played a cameo in the climax. The upcoming film marks their reunion after a gap of 45 years.

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Currently, Rajinikanth is also acting in his next film, tentatively titled Thalaiver 173, directed by Cibi Chakravarthy of Don fame. Meanwhile, Kamal is teaming up with stunt choreographer Anb-Ariv for a project, produced under his home banner Raj Kamal Films International.