Ram Charan-Sukumar’s second film RC17 launches with mega clap

Ram Charan and Sukumar’s second film together is now officially in motion. The actor and director launched the project currently titled RC17 with a pooja ceremony in Hyderabad on Sunday, and the first clap came from a very familiar hand: Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan’s father.

A pooja with a mega clap

The ceremony began around 10:50 am. Ram Charan arrived to greet the team and lit the ceremonial lamp, while Chiranjeevi broke the traditional coconut before sounding the clapboard and blessing the crew. The makers shared a video of the rituals on their official social media handles; in their words, “The journey of #RC17 begins with the MEGA CLAP”.

The first clap is not just a photo-op. In Indian film tradition, it is the ceremonial moment that formally opens production, and giving it to a senior icon is both a blessing and a statement of continuity.

Who was in the room

The guest list mixed the film’s core team with familiar names from Telugu cinema: producers Naveen Yerneni and Naga Vamsi, and directors Harish Shankar, Maruthi, Gopichand Malineni and Buchi Babu Sana, among others. Cinematographer Ratnavelu has also joined, returning to a Sukumar set after Rangasthalam.

• Project: RC17, the second Ram Charan–Sukumar collaboration
• Launch: Sunday pooja in Hyderabad, starting around 10:50 am
• First clap: Chiranjeevi, after the coconut-breaking ritual
• Cinematographer: Ratnavelu, who shot Rangasthalam

Why this reunion carries weight

Their last film together, the 2018 rural drama Rangasthalam, also starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was a major box-office success and earned Ram Charan particular praise. That makes RC17 one of the more closely watched Telugu titles in the pipeline. The project was first announced in March 2024, when Ram Charan posted a Holi picture with Sukumar. More than two years later, it has taken its first formal step.

The presence of Ratnavelu also hints at visual continuity. His lensing was part of the texture of Rangasthalam, and his return gives the reunion a shared crew DNA before a single frame is shot.

What fans should do next

For now, the rest of the cast and crew is still under wraps. The makers’ official handles are the place to watch, with more announcements expected in the coming days. The team turned a routine production start into an event by centring Chiranjeevi, and that gives the project an early family stamp while every new casting update can bring a fresh wave of attention.

Source: India Today