Allu Arjun, Deepika Padukone, Director Atlee Unite for ‘Raaka’

India’s Sun Pictures has unveiled the title of its large-scale fantasy-action collaboration between director Atlee, Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone: “Raaka.”

The announcement got here Wednesday, on Arjun’s birthday, accompanied by a title poster that leans into darkish, creature-driven imagery.

Atlee, whose credit embody the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster “Jawan” in addition to Tamil-language hits “Mersal” and “Bigil,” described the project as a long-gestating ardour. “‘Raaka’ isn’t just a film… it’s a part of me I’ve carried for years. For 18 years, I held on to one idea, never letting it fade. It tested me, shaped me, and stayed with me through everything. And honestly… this is just the beginning,” he said.

Sun Pictures, the Chennai-based manufacturing banner, said the movie represents its highest ambitions for Indian cinema’s worldwide attain. “Sun Pictures is privileged to bring together the singular storytelling of Atlee and the iconic stature of Allu Arjun in a project built for the world,” the company said in a press release.

Arjun, who gained the Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in “Pushpa: The Rise,” arrives at “Raaka” off the again of a franchise that reshaped Indian cinema’s industrial panorama. The first “Pushpa” movie, directed by Sukumar and co-starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, grossed some $42 million worldwide on its 2021 release. Its 2024 sequel, “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” collected roughly $194 million globally, making it the third-highest-grossing Indian movie of all time behind “Dangal” and “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.”

Padukone, who beforehand labored with Atlee on “Jawan” reverse Shah Rukh Khan, joins the project as feminine lead – her first collaboration with Arjun. Her casting was announced by Sun Pictures last 12 months.