Darbar: Title, first look of Rajinikanth's film with AR Murugadoss released; cop drama to release in Pongal 2020

Lyca Productions, the production house behind Rajinikanth-starrer magnum opus 2.0 from last year, released the first look of his next film. Directed by AR Murugadoss, #Thalaivar167 has been titled Darbar.

Here We Go! #Thalaivar167 😎 is #Darbar 🌟@rajinikanth @ARMurugadoss #Nayanthara @anirudhofficial @santoshsivan @sreekar_prasad pic.twitter.com/bNoEhne6xo

— Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) April 9, 2019

The first look poster sees Rajinikanth at the center of his universe, sporting his signature grin and round-rimmed shades, which look like a bad CGI job. Gateway of India adorns the backdrop along with what looks like a map of Mumbai. Guns, a police badge, a police cap and a ferocious dog with a police collar make it quite clear that Rajinikanth plays a cop. But the tagline (“You decide whether you want me to be good, bad or worse), along with his trademark mischievous grin, hint that he is not that cop who plays strictly by the books. The poster may take one back to Rohit Shetty’s blockbuster Hindi cop drama from last year, Simmba, starring Ranveer Singh as a corrupt cop. The film graphed the titular character’s journey from being a corrupt police officer to the avenger of his sister’s rape. Nonetheless, the first look of Darbar does justice to the larger-than-life persona of Rajinikanth. Also starring Nayanthara, the film is slated to release on Pongal 2020.