Chiranjeevi and Antony Ruben (Instagram)
Hyderabad: Megastar Chiranjeevi’s upcoming film, now officially titled Kaaka, has generated considerable buzz following the release of its title teaser on the actor’s birthday. Directed by Bobby Kolli and produced by KVN Productions, the film is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on January 13, 2027, coinciding with Sankranthi.
The title glimpse introduces Chiranjeevi as Supervisor Satyam, who works at Ammaji Aqua Industries in Ravulapalem. The teaser offers a glimpse into the world of the film, showing Satyam working at a shrimp farm before an intriguing sequence involving a dropped key, an electromagnet and a cache of weapons raises questions about his character.
Acclaimed editor Antony Ruben, who has worked on films including Pushpa, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Jawan, Game Changer, Daaku Maharaaj and Waltair Veerayya, edited the Kaaka title teaser.
In an exclusive conversation with Siasat.com, Ruben opened up about what attracted him to Bobby Kolli’s film, the challenge of cutting the title glimpse without revealing too much, Chiranjeevi’s grounded new avatar and his creative equation with the director.
According to Ruben, what immediately attracted him to Kaaka was its premise and the way its characters have been written.
“What attracted me to Kaaka is that the film does not follow the usual commercial template. It has a very fresh premise. The film is not built around just one protagonist, one love interest, and a set of supporting characters. There are several important characters, each with their own identity, depth, and purpose, woven into the story in a very interesting way,” he told Siasat.com.
While Ruben’s current association with the project includes editing its title teaser, he said the film’s multiple characters and their individual journeys were among the aspects that stood out to him.
“The biggest challenge, and the most exciting part, is bringing out the individual character journeys while making sure they all work together as one film. The performances are extremely complementary, so you must be careful about what you reveal, when you reveal it, and how one character’s presence affects another,” he said.
The Kaaka title teaser gives audiences their first official look at Chiranjeevi as Supervisor Satyam, a character who appears considerably more grounded than the larger-than-life roles the actor is known for.
Ruben believes this change in presentation gives the film a different flavour.
“Chiranjeevi sir is being presented in a very different space, and that itself gives us a lot to play with. His performance has different shades, and the idea is not to constantly keep the film at the same pitch. We are building the highs, the lows, the emotion, and the heroism carefully, so that every moment has its impact,” Ruben explained.
He further revealed, “But the biggest element is that we get to see Chiranjeevi as a common man, rather than a larger-than-life hero. His character will be rooted, relatable, and grounded.”
The teaser itself maintains that mystery, introducing Satyam through his workplace and everyday surroundings before gradually hinting that there could be much more to the character than what meets the eye.
Ruben also hinted that the film contains characters and performances that the team is deliberately keeping under wraps.
“There are also certain characters and performances that I cannot reveal at this stage, because discovering them in the film will be part of the experience,” he added.
With the title teaser now released, Ruben explained that one of the biggest challenges was deciding how much of the film to reveal while still giving audiences a strong sense of what Kaaka has in store.
“Promos and trailers have always been my forte, so I was naturally excited about creating the first glimpse of Kaaka. What interested me most was finding the simplicity within such a big commercial film,” he said.
“The range of the promo goes from very understated moments to completely explosive ones, and getting that journey right was what gave me the most excitement.”
The teaser moves from the seemingly ordinary setting of Ammaji Aqua Industries to a striking action-oriented reveal, where Satyam retrieves a key from a pool using a giant electromagnet, only for several weapons to emerge along with it.
Ruben said the team was conscious about preserving the film’s surprises. “We were very conscious about not giving away the film. There are characters, situations and layers that we have deliberately held back because the audience should experience them in the film rather than understand everything from the promo,” Ruben said.
He teased, “Fans should absolutely expect a visual spectacle, a never-seen-before avatar of Megastar Chiranjeevi and a story woven like no other before.”
Ruben also considers the promo one of the strongest pieces of work in his career. “I genuinely feel this is one of the best promos of my career alongside the work I have done for films like Pushpa and Jawan, and I am very excited to experience the response with the fans,” he said.
Ruben’s association with Bobby Kolli began with the trailer cut of Waltair Veerayya and continued with Daaku Maharaaj. Kaaka marks their third collaboration.
“My association with Bobby Kolli started during the trailer cut of Waltair Veerayya. He loved my work, and we wanted to continue that creative relationship, which eventually led to Daaku Maharaaj and now Kaaka,” Ruben recalled.
He particularly values the freedom Kolli gives him during the creative process.
“What I value most about working with Bobby is the creative freedom he gives you. He gives you the space to explore, experiment, and find something beyond the obvious. Our equation is not limited to a director and editor simply exchanging cuts. He is also a cheerleader who encourages you when you are trying something different,” he said.
“There is a great deal of mutual respect and trust between us. By the time you work together again, you understand each other’s instincts much better, and that makes the creative process even more exciting.”
Kaaka also stars Anaswara Rajan and Nivetha Pethuraj in pivotal roles. The film has completed 40 days of shooting, while sources close to the unit have indicated that the first half has been locked, with a major action sequence serving as its interval point.
With the title now officially unveiled and the first glimpse introducing audiences to Supervisor Satyam, Kaaka has moved into a crucial phase of its promotional campaign. Directed by Bobby Kolli and produced by KVN Productions, the film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on January 13, 2027.
This post was last modified on August 22, 2026 12:20 pm