The much-awaited collaboration between Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj, tentatively titled AA23, is steadily moving through its pre-production phase with the makers aiming to commence principal photography after the Dusshera season.
Recently, rumours surfaced that the film has been shelved but one of the writers Rathna Kumar confirmed that story sittings are going on. While Allu Arjun is currently occupied with Atlee’s ambitious pan-India action spectacle Raaka, Lokesh has reportedly intensified preparations for AA23 by shifting a significant portion of the film’s development activities to Hyderabad.
The actor-director duo is said to have held multiple story sittings in recent weeks, with discussions now entering an advanced stage as the team fine-tunes the screenplay and character arcs. Industry buzz suggests that Leo co-writer Rathna Kumar is actively working on the final draft.
A section of the crew has reportedly completed location recce across multiple cities, with Delhi emerging as one of the film’s major shooting destinations. The project is believed to be mounted on a massive scale, aligning with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s vision of delivering a globally appealing action drama.
Meanwhile, Allu Arjun’s immediate priority remains Raaka, the high-profile sci-fi action film directed by Atlee. Once his commitments to that project are wrapped up, the actor is expected to shift his complete focus to AA23 and undergo the planned transformation for the role.
With pre-production progressing rapidly and both Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj deeply involved in the creative process, AA23 continues to build momentum as one of the most anticipated Indian films currently in development.
