Upendra, the Kannada superstar, has officially joined the cast of Ram Pothineni's upcoming Telugu film, tentatively titled ‘RAPO 22’. The film is directed by Mahesh Babu P, who previously made his directorial debut with ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’. Upendra's addition to the film has generated significant excitement, as he will play a larger-than-life character named Surya Kumar, which the filmmakers describe as a tribute to every superstar in the country. In the newly unveiled character poster, Upendra is seen in a stylish ensemble, wearing an overcoat and sunglasses, standing confidently amidst flashing lights and media, adding to the aura of his character.
Ram Pothineni, known for his action-packed roles, shared the poster on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his honor in presenting Upendra garu in the role of Surya Kumar: "A tribute to the spirit of every superstar we admire and look up to."
The film will feature Ram Pothineni in an unconventional avatar, marking a departure from his usual action roles and returning to his roots in romantic hero roles. RAPO 22 will also explore the village drama genre, which Ram hasn’t tackled in recent years, promising a refreshing change for his fans. The movie is being produced by Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar under the banner of Mythri Movie Makers.
Alongside Ram and Upendra, the film boasts a strong supporting cast that includes Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma, Satya, Rahul Ramakrishna, and VTV Ganesh. The film’s title glimpse is expected to be released on May 15, creating anticipation for its first look.
On his other projects, Upendra will soon be seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Coolie’, starring Rajinikanth in the lead role. He is also working on the Kannada film ‘45’, which is directed by Arjun Janya and features Shiva Rajkumar and Raj B Shetty.
For Ram Pothineni, his last outing was in ‘Double iSmart’, the sequel to the 2019 hit ‘iSmart Shankar’. As for Bhagyashree Borse, who plays the female lead in ‘RAPO 22’, she is currently filming ‘VD 12’ with Vijay Deverakonda and ‘Kaantha’ with Dulquer Salmaan, along with this project.
