Nayanthara has joined Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Dharman, reuniting the pair on screen after five years. TeluguCinema reported on 1 November that the actress, often called Lady Superstar in Tamil cinema, has signed films across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema, and that she is revisiting some of her earlier on screen combinations. Dharman is directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, and it marks the first time Nayanthara and Rajinikanth will share the screen since their last film together five years ago.
Nayanthara and Rajinikanth have worked together in several films, including Chandramukhi, which became a major commercial success, and later films such as Darbar and Annaatthe. Their pairing has a long history in Tamil cinema, and the announcement of Dharman has drawn attention because it brings together two actors who have each carried large films on their own in recent years. Nayanthara remains one of the few actresses in South Indian cinema who regularly headlines films as the lead, and her presence in a Rajinikanth film adds a familiar pairing for audiences who followed their earlier work.
Nayanthara and Rajinikanth in Dharman
Nayanthara joining Dharman is confirmed in the TeluguCinema report, while details of her role have not been shared by the makers. The film is directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, and it is one of several projects Rajinikanth has lined up after Jailer 2, which crossed Rs 800 crore worldwide on 1 November. For the actress, Dharman fits a pattern of working with established stars while also leading her own films. She is married to director Vignesh Shivan and has twin sons, and she continues to work across languages, a career path that has kept her in demand in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema for more than two decades.
The Dharman reunion also comes at a busy time for Nayanthara. The actress returns as the lead in Mookuthi Amman 2, directed by Sundar C, which is scheduled to release on 6 November, a day after Ramayana. That film is a sequel to the 2020 fantasy comedy Mookuthi Amman, in which she played the title role, and it co stars Regina Cassandrra, Urvashi and Yogi Babu. The release gives her a major Diwali week title of her own, alongside her role in Dharman, and it shows how her slate spans both female led films and large star vehicles.
Nayanthara and a possible Simbu film
The actress is also being considered for a new film starring Tamil actor Simbu, also known as STR, according to reports cited by TeluguCinema. The project is expected to be directed by Keerthiswaran, who made his directorial debut with Dude. Neither Nayanthara nor the filmmakers have officially confirmed the reported collaboration, so it should be read as a report in Tamil cinema circles rather than an announcement. If it goes ahead, it would be another reunion for the actress, this time with an actor she was once romantically linked with in the late 2000s.
Nayanthara and Simbu stayed away from sharing screen space for several years after their breakup, before reuniting for the romantic comedy Idhu Namma Aalu, released in 2016. That history gives any new pairing a talking point beyond the film itself, because audiences remember both the earlier films and the long gap between them. TeluguCinema notes that the actress appears to be looking to recreate some of the success of her earlier combinations, and a Simbu film would fit that pattern, pairing her with an actor whose fan base overlaps with her own in Tamil Nadu.
Nayanthara expands her Hindi slate
The actress is also expanding her presence in Hindi cinema. She is currently working alongside Salman Khan in an action entertainer directed by Telugu filmmaker Vamshi Paidipally and presented by producer Dil Raju. The film is targeting an Eid 2027 release, according to TeluguCinema, and it would be one of her largest Hindi projects to date. She has worked in Hindi films before, but most of her career has been built in the south, where she has played leads in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films across genres from fantasy to crime drama.
The combination of Dharman, a possible Simbu film, Mookuthi Amman 2 and the Salman Khan project gives the actress a slate that covers Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema in the same period. That breadth is unusual, and it reflects a career in which the actress has moved between industries without settling in one alone. Further announcements are expected as Dharman moves closer to production and as the Simbu project is either confirmed or set aside by the makers involved.