In big news for fans of South Indian cinema, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have officially confirmed their onscreen reunion after nearly five decades of their last onscreen collaboration, sending waves of excitement through the Indian film industry. On February 21, 2026, the announcement was made alongside a special promo for their upcoming film, currently referred to as KHxRK.
This project brings together two of cinema’s biggest icons for a full-length feature; a move that fans and industry trackers have anticipated for years. According to a report by The Times of India, the film is being produced by Red Giant Movies in association with Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International.
A historic onscreen reunion
Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have officially confirmed their first onscreen collaboration in 47 years. On February 21, 2026, Red Giant Movies released a special promo for the project, currently titled KHxRK.
The two actors last shared the screen in a full-fledged movie in the 1979 film Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum. While they have remained close friends and appeared at each other’s events, they made a business decision decades ago to stop working together so that producers could afford their individual salaries and they could build their own fan bases.
The reunion has been a long time coming. At a public event last year, Kamal Haasan used a unique analogy to explain why they are finally working together again. He said, “We were united long ago, but chose to remain apart because they kept splitting a biscuit and giving us only half each. We wanted a full biscuit each, and we got it and relished it well. Now we are content with just half a biscuit again, so we have come together.” This sentiment was reinforced by his social media post today, where he wished the team well and noted that “every great journey deserves another chapter.”
The “retro swag” promo
The announcement was accompanied by a effervescent promo directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. Released at exactly 12:07 PM – a time chosen to honour the birthdays of both stars – the video avoids the typical serious tone of a teaser. Instead, it features director Nelson and composer Anirudh Ravichander in a hotel corridor, playfully arguing over which superstar’s room they should visit first to avoid appearing biased.
Watch it here:
The video then reveals both actors in stylized retro outfits, including leather jackets and 1980s-inspired sunglasses, standing in a vintage garage. The promo leans into a meta-humor style, ending with both Kamal and Rajinikanth turning to the camera to ask Nelson, “Who is the hero of this movie?” This addresses the long-standing fan debate over billing. According to The Indian Express, the film will feature music by Anirudh Ravichander and cinematography by Rajiv Menon, with the project slated to begin filming in late 2026.
Reactions on social media
Kamal Hasan’s post of the film’s promo earlier today started seeing a massive volume of likes almost instantaneously. The X (formerly Twitter) post managed to rack in 24,000 likes, 5,000 reposts and over 300 replies within just ninety minutes of being shared.
Netizens went wild at the announcement, with a vast majority of X users expressing their awe and excitement at the actors chemistry and costuming. One user wrote, “In their 70’s and 80 years of age and still dominating the industry like no other.” While another user, quoting the post said, “Not just a film it’s gonna be one of the greatest events of Cinema 🐐”
Others posted hilarious gifs and reaction images expressing their eagerness for the film’s release. GIFs of Jason Momoa pulling out a chair to seat himself with a smirk or Michael Jackson munching on popcorn from the Thriller music video dominated the quoted tweets tab. There were comparisons to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood made by several X users and others hoped for the elusive “tamil cinema ‘s 1000cr dream 😭🔥”