'AA22 x A6' is now Raaka. Telugu superstar Allu Arjun's upcoming film with Tamil filmmaker Atlee, co-starring Deepika Padukone, got a title and an intriguing, creature-coded poster. The announcement was made to mark Arjun's birthday on April 8.
Backed by Sun Pictures and mounted on a massive scale, Raaka is being positioned as a genre-defining spectacle, blending scale, storytelling, and cinematic innovation. The poster features the actor in an enigmatic visual. A creature’s hand, with sharp claws, is caught mid-gesture. A closer look at the poster also reveals a unique skin indentation on Arjun's forehead.
Atlee, who last directed Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, wrote about why the film is special to him. "#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 #HappyBirthdayAlluArjun sir," he wrote on X.
This will be the first time Atlee is teaming up with Allu Arjun, who tasted pan-India success with his 2024 historic blockbuster Pusha 2: The Rule. Directed by Sukumar, the film grossed over ₹1,830 crore globally.
Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone had recently exited from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's upcoming Spirit, with many reports citing disagreements over working hours on set as a primary point of friction between the actor and the filmmaker.
Among other points of contention, Vanga was reportedly unhappy about Padukone's demand to only work for eight hours a day; this resulted in the female lead in Spirit being recast. The new lead actress in the Prabhas-starrer is Triptii Dimri.
Raaka is said to be sci-fi drama made with state-of-the-art VFX work. Atlee's other credits include hits with Tamil star Vijay: Theri, Mersal, and Bigil. Allu Arjun will next be collaborating with Tamil director Lokesh Kanagaraj.
