Kaaka release date: Chiranjeevi’s film stays on 13 January, writer Kona Venkat rejects talk of a delay

Kona Venkat, one of the screenplay writers on Chiranjeevi’s new film, went on X on the afternoon of Friday, 6 November, to say the Kaaka release date has not moved. The film, he wrote, reaches theatres on 13 January 2027 for Sankranthi.

He was answering talk that spread through film circles in the first days of November: that work on the film had been paused and the festival date was in doubt. His post named none of it. It wished “Rest in Peace” on rumours, fake news and “baseless articles”, and then turned to the date: “we are landing on Jan 13th”. A line in Telugu followed, promising that Kaaka is coming for Sankranthi and bringing the real festival with him.

The post tagged director Bobby Kolli and the producers, KVN Productions, and carried a new photograph. Chiranjeevi sits on a chair among tall trees in a checked shirt and dark glasses, hands raised as he talks to a man in a blue shirt. The post did not say how much of the shoot remains. Kona Venkat said in a video interview published on 8 October that about 70 per cent was complete.

The same date since August

KVN Productions named 13 January on 22 August, Chiranjeevi’s birthday, when it gave the project known as Mega 158 its title and released a teaser. The team repeated the date on 4 September while announcing a Hyderabad schedule from 7 September. On 17 September the banner named it again, saying it wanted to end the speculation, and released a photograph of Chiranjeevi with its producer, Venkat K Narayana, and UV Creations’ Vikram Reddy.

UV Creations is making Chiranjeevi’s other unreleased film, Vishwambhara, directed by Vassishta, which has been the other name in the Sankranthi talk. Its makers have not announced a date.

Supervisor Satyam and the Sankranthi line-up

The teaser introduces Chiranjeevi as Satyam, supervisor at Ammaji Aqua Industries, a shrimp farm in Ravulapalem. A worker lets a key slip into a shrimp pool; when a giant electromagnet pulls it out, weapons come up with it. At an event in September, Chiranjeevi gave the name Kadiri Kalidas for his role.

Bobby Kolli last directed him in Waltair Veerayya, which opened on 13 January 2023. The Kaaka cast includes Anaswara Rajan, Nivetha Pethuraj, Sunil, Getup Srinu and Anurag Kashyap, and Thaman is the composer.

Kaaka shares the season with Mahakali on 8 January, and SYG and January 12 Vidudala, both dated 12 January. The 17 September post also promised a first single soon; no date for the song has been given. From Saturday, 7 November, 13 January is 67 days away.