Raaka Swaps Dubai for Hyderabad with 37-Performer Record

Allu Arjun and Atlee’s sci-fi epic Raaka is swapping skylines. Filmfare reports that the production has dropped its planned Dubai schedule amid security concerns in the Middle East, and will now shoot a key action sequence at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.

The move marks the film’s first major schedule in Allu Arjun’s hometown. Until now, portions have been filmed in a Mumbai studio, so bringing the production to Hyderabad is a significant reset for a project already operating at an unusually ambitious scale.

Why the location change matters

Moving a production like this is never a small call. Crew, sets, equipment and dates all have to be reworked, and a city shift brings cost and scheduling questions. But Ramoji Film City gives the team a controlled environment big enough for the action spectacle Raaka is promising.

What we know about Raaka

• Allu Arjun is reportedly playing three roles in the sci-fi epic.
• Deepika Padukone leads the cast, with maternity leave planned into the schedule.
• Sun Pictures is backing heavy visual effects handled by Hollywood studios.
• Sai Abhyankkar is composing the music.
• The film already holds a Guinness World Record for capturing 37 performers at once through real-time motion capture, using 92 cameras and performers aged 4 to 70.
• Atlee has called the project a dream he has nurtured for nearly 18 years.

The Oscar-sized ambition

Atlee is not thinking small. Filmfare reports that the director wants to take Raaka to the Oscars, and has said that if he wins, he would deliver his acceptance speech in Tamil. The team is eyeing a December 2027 release, which leaves room for a long visual effects pipeline.

For audiences, the shift from Dubai to Hyderabad does not reset the wait, but it does pull the production closer to Telugu cinema’s deep studio ecosystem. It is a practical move that keeps the film’s big ambitions moving on safer ground.

Meanwhile, Allu Arjun’s project with Lokesh Kanagaraj, tentatively titled AA23, is also on track. Lokesh has dismissed shelving rumours, and Anirudh Ravichander is attached for music.

Source: Filmfare