Director Lokesh Kanagaraj has stirred both excitement and disappointment by officially moving on to his next project with Allu Arjun, tentatively titled ‘AA23’.
The film, which begins shooting in early 2026, was announced with a symbolic animated teaser featuring the tagline “Strive for Greatness” and a haunting score by Anirudh Ravichander.
However, this commitment has come at a cost for fans of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU); the long-awaited ‘Kaithi 2’ has been pushed further down the filmmaker’s schedule to accommodate this pan-Indian collaboration.
Reports suggest that Allu Arjun is “locked in mentally” for this grittier, darker role, which marks a significant departure from his previous work in the Pushpa franchise.
While LCU enthusiasts must wait longer for the return of Karthi’s “Dilli,” the scale and ambition of ‘AA23’ promise to set a new benchmark for high-concept action cinema in India.
