Director Ashwath Marimuthu confirmed on 30 September that the crew of superstar Rajinikanth's highly anticipated film Dharman has completed its third schedule of filming, marking another significant milestone for one of Tamil cinema's most-watched productions. The director announced the wrap on his social media timelines with a brief but celebratory post: '3rd schedule Wrapped! #Dharman.'

The Mysuru Schedule

The third schedule, which began on 16 September, was partly filmed in Mysuru, a detail confirmed when actress Raashii Khanna — who plays a pivotal role in the film — shared candid pictures from the location on her Instagram page. In her post, Khanna described life on the sets alongside Rajinikanth and Telugu actor Ram Pothineni, writing: 'A little glimpse into the world I have been living in for a while now in Mysore. Early morning workouts with Rajini sir and Ram, because apparently the day starts before the day starts. A little temple hopping, a little wandering, some UNO and lots of laughter. And yes, the Mysore dosa deserved its own moment. #dharman.'

The Mysuru leg of the shoot had been planned for approximately 10 days, following a prior filming session in Chennai. Director Marimuthu also shared a behind-the-scenes clip on X showing Rajinikanth and Khanna at work on set, captioning it: 'Back with Thalaivar for Dharman 3rd schedule #superstar @RKFI.'

A Rapidly Moving Production

The pace of filming has been notably swift. The second schedule had wrapped as recently as 4 September, just weeks before the third began. That earlier schedule commenced on 13 August and was announced by producers with the tagline 'The deadly doctor. #Dharman Schedule 2 Begins, and this one's legendary.' A video clip released at that time showed Rajinikanth portraying a senior medical faculty member lecturing junior doctors — offering the first on-set glimpse of his character.

What We Know About the Film

In Dharman, Rajinikanth plays a doctor who takes on criminals — a role that has already generated enormous fan anticipation. The film's title was announced by actor, producer, and parliamentarian Kamal Haasan, who is also co-producing the project under his banner Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI), alongside R Mahendran, with S Disney as co-producer. Haasan marked the occasion with the declaration: 'Dharmame vellum! (Only Dharma will win).'

The title poster, released earlier, depicted Rajinikanth in an operation theatre holding a scalpel, with one leg placed over the body of a slain rowdy sheeter — a visual that encapsulated the film's doctor-meets-vigilante premise and sent fan communities into a frenzy. In June, the makers released a making video revealing how the team arrived at Rajinikanth's look for the film, with director Marimuthu sharing the final poster on X and writing: 'We heard you!! Ithan hair styleu (This is the hair style)!! Ithan looku (This is the look)! Sexy work @kabilanchelliah.'

Director's Candid Take on Working with Thalaivar

Speaking at an event in Chennai, Marimuthu offered a rare and candid account of what it is like to direct the superstar. 'I am now comfortable working with Thalaivar. I was very scared initially. I have worked with Ashok Selvan, then Pradeep and after that, I started working with Thalaivar. But I have realised nothing has changed. That is because Rajinikanth's work ethics is so pure and amazing. It is like having a child on the sets. Even after 50 years, he is so excited and so full of energy,' he said. He also noted that Rajinikanth was 'very happy and very kicked about the pace and the quality of how Dharman was shaping up.'

Technical Crew and What Comes Next

The film's music is being composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with cinematography by Niketh Bommi and editing by Pradeep E Raghav. With three schedules now in the can and the production moving at pace, attention will turn to when the remaining schedules will be announced and whether a release window will be revealed.