BIGGEST CASTING COUP: Rajinikanth, Atlee and Salman Khan likely to team up; Rashmika Mandanna in talks for the female lead

Superstars Rajinikanth and Salman Khan are likely to collaborate on a movie for the first time under Atlee’s directorial. Rashmika Mandanna is in talks for playing the female lead!

By Goutham S

Updated on Jan 30, 2025 | 07:59 PM IST | 26.7K

BLOCKBUSTER COMBO: Rajinikanth and Salman Khan likely to team up for Atlee's 6th film (PC: Pinkvilla/Salman Khan, IG)

Superstars Rajinikanth and Salman Khan are reportedly joining hands for the first time ever in an upcoming movie. According to ongoing reports, both actors are likely to play lead roles in director Atlee’s sixth film.

Adding to the excitement, it is speculated that actress Rashmika Mandanna is in talks to star alongside Salman Khan in the movie.

Earlier, in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Atlee had confirmed that his next directorial would feature Salman Khan in the lead role, marking his subsequent venture after Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan. With earlier reports suggesting that the movie would likely be a dual-hero project, it now appears that Rajinikanth might be stepping in as the co-lead.

Initially, there were indications that Kamal Haasan might take up the co-lead role in this ambitious venture. However, as of now, no official announcement has been made by the makers.

Meanwhile, Atlee recently ventured into production with the movie Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan in the lead role. This film, an official remake of the 2016 Thalapathy Vijay starrer Theri, marked Keerthy Suresh’s debut in Hindi cinema. Alongside Varun and Keerthy, the cast included Wamiqa Gabbi, Zara Zyanna, Jackie Shroff, and others in key roles. Interestingly, Salman Khan made a cameo appearance in Baby John.

Speaking of Salman Khan, the Bollywood superstar is currently working on his movie Sikandar, directed by AR Murugadoss. Touted to be an action-packed film, Sikandar features Rashmika Mandanna and Kajal Aggarwal as the female leads. Scheduled for release on March 28, 2025, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr, the film also stars Sathyaraj, Sharman Joshi, and Prateik Babbar in supporting roles.

On the other hand, Rajinikanth, who was last seen in Vettaiyan, is currently shooting for Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. This action film includes Nagarjuna Akkineni and Upendra Rao in key roles, with Aamir Khan expected to make a cameo appearance. Additionally, Rajinikanth has Jailer 2 in his pipeline.