Anurag Kashyap joins Chiranjeevi-led Telugu film Kaaka; mysterious role sparks fan theories about the film’s antagonist

The makers announced his casting on Monday with a picture from the Hyderabad sets, but stopped short of revealing what exactly he plays.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has joined Chiranjeevi’s upcoming action thriller Kaaka. The filmmaker and actor, who has been taking on more acting assignments in South Indian films, is now part of Bobby Kolli’s next. The makers announced his casting on Monday with a picture from the Hyderabad set, but stopped short of revealing exactly what he plays.

Makers welcome Anurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap joins Chiranjeevi’s Kaaka in a ‘powerful & pivotal role’, fans wonder if he is the antagonist.

The picture, shared on Kaaka’s official social media pages, shows Bobby discussing a scene with Anurag. The actor appears to be listening closely as the director explains the sequence. Along with the photo, the makers wrote: “The world of Kaaka just got deadlier. Welcoming @anuragkashyap10 Sir on board in a powerful & pivotal role.”

Bobby has also hinted that his character will have a strong impact on the story, saying on Instagram, “Some characters are meant to leave a lasting impact” and that Anurag will “add another intense layer to this high-voltage entertainer”.

There is no word yet on the name or details of Anurag's character. That has not stopped fans from guessing, though. Several are already wondering if he could be the film’s antagonist. One user on X wrote, “Anurag Kashyap was the youngest & powerful writer of RGV's Satya movie team. Welcome aboard, Anurag ji 🙏.”

Kaaka shooting is underway

Work on the film is moving ahead on more than one front. The cast has reportedly started dubbing after a traditional pooja, while post-production is also underway. Chiranjeevi recently shared an update on the production, revealing that the entire first half has been shot and around 30% of the second half is also complete. The team is now working towards wrapping the remaining portions ahead of the film’s theatrical release.

Chiranjeevi’s mysterious character

Kaaka’s title glimpse, released on Chiranjeevi’s 71st birthday, gave audiences their first real hint of what the film is about. Chiranjeevi plays Satyam, a supervisor at Ammaji Aqua Industries, a shrimp farm in Ravulapalem.

At first, Satyam appears to be an ordinary man working at the farm. But the teaser quickly suggests otherwise. When a worker accidentally drops a scooter key into a tank filled with shrimps, Satyam uses a huge electromagnet to pull it out. The key comes back with something unexpected: a collection of weapons. That moment suggests that there is much more to Satyam than his quiet day job. Even the keychain, which reads "I love dad", appears to be a clue to the emotional side of his story.

The glimpse then cuts to a younger, sharper-looking Chiranjeevi firing guns in an action-heavy sequence. The difference between this version of the character and the seemingly simple Satyam has led to plenty of speculation. It remains unclear whether Chiranjeevi is playing two separate characters or showing different phases of the same character.

Anaswara Rajan plays Chiranjeevi’s daughter

According to reports, the story has a father-daughter relationship at its centre, with Satyam’s buried gangster past eventually coming back to haunt him. Anaswara Rajan plays Chiranjeevi’s daughter in Kaaka. Her character, Ammulu Paapa, has been introduced as the “Heart of Kaaka”, indicating that she will have an important role in the film’s emotional storyline.

Nivetha Pethuraj is also part of the cast in a key role. Sunil, Getup Srinu and Kannada actor Rachita Ram are among the other actors appearing in the film.

S Thaman is composing the music, with Vijay Karthik Kannan, known for Jailer, handling cinematography. Antony L Ruben is editing the film, while Avinash Kolla is the production designer. Kona Venkat and K Chakravarthy Reddy have written the screenplay, with additional writing by Hari Mohana Krishna and Vineeth Potluri. KVN Productions is backing the project.

Kaaka release date

Kaaka marks Chiranjeevi’s second film with Bobby Kolli after their 2023 collaboration Waltair Veerayya. The action thriller is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on January 13, 2027, during the Sankranti festive period.