Energetic Star Ram Pothineni has shocked fans and the film industry by turning director with his 23rd film, RAPO23. He is also acting in the movie as the lead character Veera. The makers shared a stylish poster on his birthday to introduce his new look. Ram is known for trying new things. In his last film Andhra King Taluka, he wrote lyrics and even sang a song. Now he is taking a big step by sitting in the director’s chair for the first time. RAPO23 is a psychological action thriller, a genre that is rarely seen in Telugu cinema.The film is produced by Krishna Pothineni under the new banner Rapo Cinematics. With this, Ram joins the list of star heroes like Sr NTR, Krishna, and Pawan Kalyan who also became directors. The birthday poster shows Ram from behind in a leather jacket with a sharp V-cut hairstyle. The look is dark, intense, and gritty. A big red V is seen in the background, which stands for Veera and also shows danger and power. Tall buildings in the poster give a cold, crime-filled city feel. The tagline The Story of a Lone Wolf hints that Veera is a solo fighter with a deep and complex mind.RAPO23 is written and directed by Ram Pothineni himself. He has planned a strong story for his first film as director. The team says Ram will be seen in a totally new avatar, and the poster already shows that change. The regular shoot will start in June, and the makers are planning a December release this year.More details about the cast and crew will come out soon. Fans are waiting for updates on the heroine, music director, and villain. Many are also curious if Ram will score the music or write more songs. With this big announcement, RAPO23 has become one of the most talked about Telugu films. The industry is watching closely to see how Energetic Star handles both acting and directing. &nbsp;

Movie News

RAPO Reveals His Directorial On His Birthday

Ram Pothineni Turns Director With RAPO23 And Unveils Veera First Look

&nbsp;Karuppu set for grand release today. Suriya's Karuppu which was supposed to release yesterday 14 May landed in financial problems and the release didnot happen. This came as a huge disappointment to all the fans of Suriya.Even the director RJ.Balaji got tearstruck and tendered his apologies on social media. However, all that changed quickly and the makers revealed that the film is releasing today in a grand manner ie 15 May 2026.Hearing this good news fans are praising the makers for resolving the issues quickly. The film stars Trisha as the female lead while Sai Abhyankar tuned the music.The film stars &nbsp;Indrans, Natty, Swasika, Sshivadha, Anagha Maya Ravi, Supreeth Reddy and Others in important roles. The film is releasing in Telugu as Veerabhadrudu. The film is produced by SR Prakash Babu and SR Prabu &nbsp;are under Dream Warrior Pictures.It has to be seen whether Suirya can revive his fortunes with Karuppu at the box office. &nbsp;

Karuppu set to strike today

Karuppu set for grand release today

&nbsp;Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi is getting huge offers from distributors. It is already one of the biggest pre-release deals in Telugu film history. The team recently dropped a stunning glimpse that showed the theme and scale of the movie. After that, the craze for the film went to another level. Fans and trade circles are calling it a true pan-India epic. Many feel the visuals and mood in the glimpse reminded them of global cinema standards.Before the glimpse came out, some people had doubts about the film’s business side even with big stars involved. But once the theme was out, everything changed. The response was very strong. Now distributors from all areas are sending big offers to grab the rights. The team is checking each deal carefully before saying yes. People online are saying the rates being quoted are record-breaking and could create new benchmarks.For the Telugu states, many big names want the rights. But Mythri Movie Makers is now leading the race. Talks are in the final stage, and the deal may close soon. If it happens, it could be the biggest ever theatrical deal for Telugu states, beating all past records.With Mahesh Babu and Rajamouli working together for the first time, expectations are sky-high. Distributors believe Varanasi can do massive business. The glimpse has already proved the film’s power, and the market is ready to bet big on it.

Bidding War Begins For Varanasi Rights

Mythri Movie Makers Top Bidder For Varanasi Telugu Rights

&nbsp;&nbsp;Ram Charan’s big film Peddi is facing a serious issue in Telangana before its June 4, 2026 release. Many single screen theatre owners in the state are saying they will not screen the film. The reason is a fight over money sharing. Theatre owners want a percentage system like multiplexes. Right now they pay a fixed rent to play films. They say rent is not enough for them and they are losing money due to staff costs, power bills, and low ticket sales.&nbsp;But top production houses like Mythri Movie Makers, who are behind Peddi, are not agreeing to this change. This has led to a deadlock. At first, only 23 theatres were said to be part of the protest. But now many single screen owners across Telangana say they will join too. If all of them skip the film, Peddi will lose a lot of screens in small towns and cities. These theatres still bring in big crowds, especially for star films.This is a big worry for Ram Charan. After RRR, fans see Peddi as his next big solo hit. Losing screens in his home state can hurt the first day numbers and total box office. People online are talking about the issue and asking both sides to solve it fast. Some say single screens need support to survive. Others feel producers also take huge risks on big films.&nbsp;The makers and theatre owners need to find a middle path soon. If not, Peddi could face a real release problem in Telangana just days before June 4. &nbsp;

Peddi In Trouble

Peddi Release In Trouble As Telangana Single Screens Say No For Screening

&nbsp;&nbsp;The team of Karuppu has sent a strong legal notice after the film was shown without permission in Mumbai, Pune, and other North Indian cities. The issue came up at a press meet by the Tamil Nadu Producers Council. They said the movie was played in some theatres even though the producers did not give a final okay. This has started a big talk about piracy and film safety. Fans online were shocked to see clips from the film come out before release.Dream Warrior Pictures said that QUBE Cinema Technologies wrongly activated KDMs, which are special keys needed to play films in theatres. Because of this, the Tamil version of Karuppu was screened in many places without approval. After these shows, some people recorded scenes on their phones and shared them on social media. Clips started spreading fast on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, X, YouTube, and torrent sites. The makers warned that sharing or downloading these clips is a crime under copyright and IT laws.The producers said they will take legal action against anyone who shares pirated content from Karuppu. QUBE has accepted the mistake and promised to pay for the damage caused. This is not the first time leaks have hurt a big film, and people online are asking for stronger safety steps during releases.Karuppu stars Suriya and Trisha Krishnan and is directed by R. J. Balaji. It is one of the most awaited Tamil films of 2026 and was planned for a huge release in over 20 countries and 3,000 screens. The piracy issue has made the team more careful, but they are still going ahead as planned. &nbsp;

Karuppu Makers Serious On Unauthorised Screenings

Karuppu Team Sends Legal Notice After Illegal Shows In North India

&nbsp;&nbsp;Ram Charan’s upcoming rural sports drama Peddi is getting bigger with each update. The film’s team has now revealed a powerful look of Kannada star Shivaraj Kumar as Gaur Naidu. A short video shows him in a wrestling ring with a strong and intense presence. Fans loved his look and energy. Many are saying his role will be one of the key highlights of the film. The video has spread fast online, with people praising his rugged style and screen power.Peddi is directed by Buchi Babu Sana and produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under Vriddhi Cinemas. Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings are presenting the film. The first glimpses of Ram Charan already created huge buzz. His raw and rustic look has raised expectations. Now with Shivaraj Kumar’s entry, the excitement has doubled. Janhvi Kapoor plays the female lead. Jagapathi Babu and Divyandu Sharma are also part of the cast. The team is planning big promotions across India before release.The makers are working with top talent. R. Ratnavelu is the cinematographer. AR Rahman is scoring the music. Avinash Kolla is handling production design. National Award winner Naveen Nooli has locked the final edit. Post-production is moving fast. The theatrical trailer will be out on May 18 in Mumbai.Peddi will release worldwide on June 4, 2026, with premieres on June 3. With world-class production and a strong cast, the film is set to give fans a new kind of cinema experience. &nbsp;

Shivanna Look As Gaur Naidu In Peddi

Shivaraj Kumar Fierce Look As Gaur Naidu In Peddi Goes Viral

15 May is set to witness the release of a dubbed film, KD-The Devil and Dooradarshini along with Harudu. With Suriya's high octane film Karuppu getting postponed indefinitely, the stage is set for these small films to make the most of it. KD-The Devil is a sandalwood film starring Dhruva Sarja in the lead role. The film is helmed by Prem and it starred Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Reeshma Nanaiah, Jisshu Sengupta and Nora Fatehi in key roles. The film's Sandalwood version released longtime back.The film hit a controversy over the song shot on Nargis Fakhri. In the meantime, Dooradarshini is the remake of Kannada film Dooradarshana. The film is directed by Karthikeya Kommi and stars Bhadram, Bhaskar, Dhanalakshmi in key roles.Apart from it, the film Harudu is releasing on the same day. Venkat, Hebha Patel, Saloni Aswani, Natasha Singh, are starring in the film directed by Raj Thalluri. Stay tuned for the reviews of the above films in couple of hours from now, from Cinejosh team. &nbsp;

Today Reviews: Dooradarshini And Others

Harudu, Dooradarshini, KD-The Devil  Releasing Today

Pakistan’s film Mera Lyari has seen a very poor run in theatres. The movie was called the country’s “reply” to India’s Dhurandhar by many people online. But it failed to pull crowds after release. Reports say the film sold only about 22 tickets in some theatres. Due to low turnout, many halls pulled it out within days. The film came out on May 8 and did not get any big openings.Mera Lyari was directed by Abu Aleeha. The story was set in Karachi’s Lyari area and focused on women’s football. It showed how young girls chase their dreams despite family and social pressure. Ayesha Omar played a disabled football coach who returns to Lyari to train local girls for national games. Dananeer Mobeen, Samia Mumtaz, and Trinette Lucas also played key roles. The film tried to show a hopeful and emotional side of Lyari with sports, family, and community life.The film got a lot of talk before release because people compared it to Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar. That Indian spy thriller starred Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. It showed Lyari with themes of gang wars and crime. Mera Lyari tried to show peace and pride instead. Even a Sindh minister backed the film and said it shows the true face of Lyari. &nbsp;Director Abu Aleeha said his film was made three months before Dhurandhar’s teaser and was not a reply to anyone. While Dhurandhar became one of the year’s biggest global hits, Mera Lyari did not work at all. The huge hype turned into a big flop, and the box office numbers tell the whole story. While compared to themes there is no resemblance between both films, the common 'Lyari' region draws comparisons among Pakistani twitter.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Pakistan Reply Mera Lyari To Dhurandhar Failed Miserably

Mera Lyari Compared With Dhurandhar Bombs At Boxoffice

Pradeep Maddali is coming to entertain movie lovers with the webseries Memu Coplam. The webseries will be streaming on Zee5 from 22 May. The webseries title and the unique promotions are generating interest among movie lovers.Today the makers released the film's trailer. The trailer is loaded with interesting, intriguing and at the same time entertaining elements in the backdrop of village cockfight.When a prized rooster vanishes from a village where cockfighting is treated like pride, politics, and prestige rolled into one, chaos erupts instantly. The responsibility of solving the bizarre case falls into the least capable hands possible - Ravi and Mohan Sotari, two delightfully clueless cops with more confidence than common sense. What begins as a comically overblown poultry pursuit soon spirals into a tangled mystery far bigger than either of them bargained for.As the investigation stumbles from one ridiculous mishap to another, the duo accidentally begins uncovering secrets that threaten to shake the very foundations of their quirky village. With black magic rumors, bloodshed warnings, political pressure, activist outrage, and growing paranoia spreading across the village.B.V.S. Ravi is bankrolling the film &nbsp;under RAW Entertainments. Memu Coplam stars Nagendra Babu as Gajapati Raju,Getup Srinu as Mohan Sotari and Raviteja Nannimala as Ravi Sotari, Reethu Chowdary as Meenakshi, Charan Lakkaraju as Akash Reddy, Siri Parvathy as Sanghavi, and Kireeti Damaraju as Giri.The &nbsp;story is provided by Shoban Chittuprolu and the screenplay is written by Shoban Chittuprolu and Chanakya Varma, while dialogues are penned by Shoban Chittuprolu, Chanakya Varma, and Gopala Krishna Vidmahe.Kishore Boyidapu, Michael D’selva, and Saket Komanduri are handling the Cinematography, editing and music respectively.&nbsp;

Memu Coplam trailer talk 

Memu Coplam trailer review

&nbsp;Peddi makers to follow unique strategy regarding ticket pricing. Ram Charan's Peddi directed by Buchi Babuu Sana is releasing on 4 June 2026. The makers are gearing up to up the ante with whirlwind promotional strategies. Already they confirmed that the film's trailer will be released on 18 May &nbsp;at Mumbai and Sound of Peddi will be organised on 23 May at Bhopal.In the meantime, it is coming out that the makers are planning to come up with a smart pricing for the film in the state of Telangana. The makers are planning paid premiers on 3 June and planning to price the ticket rates at Rs 600.For the regular shows starting the next day, they are considering an increase in Rs 100 for all the normal ticket rates. Many feel this is a viable strategy and it will not be a burden and enable people to watch the film in the theatres.Janhvi Kapoor is the female lead and Shruti Haasan is doing the special song. The music is tuned by Rahman.

Ticket Pricing - Peddi Strategy 

Peddi makers to follow unique strategy regarding ticket pricing

&nbsp;&nbsp;Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is trying something new. He is acting for the first time in a film called DC. The movie is directed by Arun Matheswaran and is a violent romantic action drama. Big news came out that the DC trailer will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2026. This is a huge step for Tamil cinema. Very few Tamil films get a launch at Cannes. Lokesh is known for hits like Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo. Now he is in front of the camera, and people are curious to see how he does.Wamiqa Gabbi plays the female lead opposite Lokesh. She is known for strong roles and many feel she is a good match for this intense story. Anirudh Ravichander is doing the music, just like in Lokesh’s other films. The teaser came out recently and got mixed talk, but Anirudh’s background score got a lot of love online. Clips of the music are already trending, and fans say it gives a solid vibe to the film. The movie is made by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures with a big budget.The team finished shooting in late April 2026 and is now in post-production. Showing the trailer at Cannes is a smart move to get world attention. It shows the makers want DC to reach beyond just Tamil audience. People online are talking about Lokesh’s new look and intense screen presence from the teaser. Some say the story looks raw and different from his usual style as a director.DC is planned for a late 2026 release in theatres. The buzz is very high after the Cannes news. Fans are waiting to see if Lokesh can win hearts as an actor just like he did as a director. Many are already calling the Cannes premiere a game changer for his career and for Tamil films on the global stage. &nbsp;

Lokesh DC Heading To Cannes

Lokesh Kanagaraj Turns Actor as DC Trailer Heads to Cannes

&nbsp;&nbsp; Dhanush teaming with Mission Mangal director. Dhanush is known for his versatile and impactful performances. However, his last film Kara directed by Vignesh Raja failed to set the screens on fire at the box office.In the meantime, reports are coming that Dhanush is lining up a pan India entertainer and it will be helmed by Jagan Shakti who shot to fame with Mission Mangal. Inside talk is Jagan already approached Dhanush with the story and the script and Dhanush showed interest in starring in it.The project may go to sets once Dhanush completes his current commitments. His upcoming film D55 is progressing at a brisk pace under the direction of Rajkumar Periasamy. The film stars Sreeleela and Sai Pallavi as the female leads.The music for the film is tuned by Sai Abhyankar and film backed by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films, in association with RTake Studios. The film was earlier set to be produced by Anbuchezhiyan and Sushmita Anbuchezhiyan under their Gopuram Films banner before the change took place. &nbsp;