Thalaivar 171 first look poster: Rajinikanth dazzles in Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj surprised fans on Thursday by unveiling the first look poster of his upcoming movie, Thalaivar 171 . The poster, withholding the film's original title, showcases Superstar Rajinikanth in an ultra-cool avatar.

Rajinikanth dazzles in a look that merges retro and modern elements. He appears rugged, youthful, and highly charming, sporting dark sunglasses with a heroic grin, and displaying a handcuff made with expensive wristwatches.

In the Thalaivar 171 first look poster, Rajinikanth appears at least 20 years younger. The poster hints that Lokesh is poised to deliver a movie that pays homage to vintage Rajinikanth classics.

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Rajinikanth stuns in Thalaivar 171 first look

"BLAST," tweeted Dhanush, reacting to the first-look poster of Rajinikanth.

The filmmakers have also announced that the official title of Thalaivar 171 will be revealed on April 22.

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Thalaivar 171 marks another milestone in Lokesh's career. Since the groundbreaking success of Kaithi in 2019, Lokesh has emerged as the most sought-after filmmaker in the Indian film industry. His filmography over the past five years reflects his meteoric rise in the Tamil film industry. From directing lesser-known actors in Maanagaram in 2017, he has consistently collaborated with the biggest superstars of Indian cinema, including Thalapathy Vijay and Kamal Haasan.

Lokesh Kanagaraj's growing clout in Tamil cinema

The opportunity to direct Rajinikanth in Thalaivar 171 has further enhanced Lokesh's stature and influence in the industry.

At the moment, we have no details about the plot or other stars associated with Thalaivar 171. The film is now in the pre-production phase and it is expected to go on the floors in June.

Recently, Lokesh revealed that the completion of Thalaivar 171 will take about 1.5 years. Following this project, he will immediately start Kaithi 2, which is part of the cinematic universe that he's building.