Vijay-Led Jana Nayagan Editor Pradeep E Raghav Suspended For Leak Joins Rajinikanth Starrer Dharman

Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated 173rd film, previously known only as Thalaivar 173, was officially titled Dharman on Wednesday. The announcement was accompanied by a first-look poster depicting the superstar as a surgeon, scalpel in hand, standing over a fallen man. Among the confirmed members of the technical crew was editor Pradeep E Raghav, the same editor who was suspended by the Southern India Film Editors Association just two months earlier over the piracy leak of Vijay’s Jana Nayagan.

Jana Nayagan Editor Pradeep E Raghav Suspended For Leak Joins Dharman

The title and poster were revealed by Kamal Haasan, whose production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, is backing the film, in a post on X that read, “Dharmame vellum,” meaning “dharma alone will win.” Directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, known for Dragon and Oh My Kadavule, the film also stars Simran, Raashi Khanna, and Yogi Babu, with music by Anirudh Ravichander—marking his fifth collaboration with Rajinikanth—and cinematography by Niketh Bommi. The launch was marked with a formal pooja ceremony in Chennai. Sources close to the team told SCREEN that Pradeep E Ragav filed an apology to the association, which has accepted it and asked him to continue working in the industry as an editor.

🥳🙏🏼Blessed 😍🙌🏻 https://t.co/j2vScWTbkN

— Pradeep E Ragav (@PradeepERagav) June 24, 2026

What Happened Earlier?

Raghav’s name appearing in the credits is notable, given what happened earlier this year. In April 2026, Jana Nayagan, billed as Vijay’s final film before his move into politics, was hit by a major piracy leak while it was still awaiting censor certification. The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing eventually arrested sixteen people in connection with the case, with investigators identifying a freelance assistant editor as the person who accessed the footage without authorisation at an editing studio and circulated a complete copy online.

Raghav, who was credited as the editor on the film, was not directly responsible for the leak itself. SIFEA’s own statement at the time clarified this distinction. However, the association still suspended his membership on April 17, citing negligence and recurring violations of rules around hiring non-union members as assistant editors across his projects, including Jana Nayagan. The suspension meant SIFEA withdrew all professional cooperation and support from him and urged other industry bodies to back the action.

Despite that episode, Raghav now finds himself entrusted with editing one of the most closely watched Tamil films currently in production. Dharman has faced a challenging road even before the leak controversy. The project was originally announced with director Sundar C at the helm, who later stepped away, citing unforeseen circumstances. Filmmaker Cibi Chakaravarthi was then brought on board, with a poster carrying the tagline “Every Family Has A Hero” and a planned Pongal 2027 release, before he also exited. Earlier this month, Ashwath Marimuthu was confirmed as the new director.

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Also Read: Jana Nayagan: Vijay Thalapathy Starrer’s Editor Pradeep E Raghav Suspended Over Leak Controversy; Madras HC Blocks Pirated Film Online

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