Venkatesh and Kalyan Ram Pair Up for Anil Ravipudi's Sankranthi 2027 Film

The interesting thing about Anil Ravipudi’s next is the pairing it puts at the centre. Venkatesh and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram have never shared a screen, and they do it here in a film built for the one slot Ravipudi has made his own: the Sankranthi festival release, this time aimed at January 2027. The project, carrying the working tags #VenkyAnil5 and #NkrAR2, was launched in Hyderabad with a pooja and the customary muhurtham shoot.

Ravipudi is the draw as much as the leads. His run of festival comedies has turned the holiday window into a reliable hit slot, and a two-hero version of that formula, with Venkatesh’s timing set against Kalyan Ram’s energy, is the kind of combination Telugu audiences turn out for. Keerthy Suresh, last seen pushing against type in Raghu Thatha, and Krithi Shetty play the female leads.

The launch pulled in the families and houses behind it. Dil Raju and Shirish handed the script to Ravipudi and producer Sahu Garapati to open proceedings, Allu Aravind sounded the clapboard on the first shot, Suresh Babu switched on the camera, and veteran director K Raghavendra Rao called the action on the inaugural take. The film is produced by Sahu Garapati under Shine Screens, with Suresh Productions, Zee Studios and Smt. Archana presenting.

The crew leans across industries. GV Prakash Kumar, busy on the Tamil side with the Vishwanath & Sons soundtrack, scores the film, with Sameer Reddy on camera, Tammiraju on the edit and AS Prakash on art, and S Krishna as executive producer. The regular shoot begins shortly. With the leads locked, the festival date set and Ravipudi’s track record behind it, the only thing this one is still missing is a title.