Allu Arjun’s 23rd film, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, is set to begin shooting later this year. In April, the team unveiled the film’s theme track while announcing the project. Titled the “23 Theme,” the music has since gained immense popularity among listeners across the country.

The viral reach of the “23 Theme” has now extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media. The Prime Minister’s Instagram post about receiving the Order of the White Double Cross, First Class, Slovakia’s highest civilian honour, features the theme music from the Allu Arjun-Lokesh Kanagaraj film in the background.

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Allu Arjun’s growing influence

Composed by Anirudh Ravichander, the track has further amplified the anticipation surrounding the upcoming project. “Even before #AA23 goes on floors, this has happened. It reflects the growing cultural phenomenon that Allu Arjun has become across India,” the actor’s team stated. Expectations from the film’s soundtrack are already high. With Anirudh’s energetic compositions and Allu Arjun’s celebrated dance prowess, the music is expected to be one of the film’s major highlights.

The complete cast and crew details are expected to be announced in due course. Pooja Hegde is reportedly in talks to play the female lead. The makers have kept the storyline under wraps. Reports suggest that the film will be a dark and intense action entertainer. While Lokesh Kanagaraj is known for his gritty action style and interconnected storytelling, there is no official confirmation that the film will be part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe. The project marks the first collaboration between Allu Arjun and the Vikram director.

Raaka keeps Allu Arjun busy

Meanwhile, Allu Arjun is currently occupied with Raaka. Directed by Atlee Kumar, the sci-fi action entertainer features Deepika Padukone in a pivotal role. The actor is reportedly playing a dual role in what has been described as one of the most ambitious projects of the Jawan director.

Also Read:  Lokesh Kanagaraj And Allu Arjun’s AA23-LK7 Theme Music Crosses 1 Million Reels

The psychological horror film Obsession, which recently captured audience attention, has sparked discussions about a potential sequel. Directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, the film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette and was released in the USA on May 15, 2026, followed by an Indian release on May 29, 2026. While fans are curious about the possibility of Obsession 2, the director has shared his current perspective on continuing the story.

In a recent interaction with The Hollywood Reporter, Barker indicated that while he has conceptualized a follow-up project, he is not planning to rush into production. About the timing of a potential sequel, he said, “I don’t want to go straight into Obsession 2. I have such a cool idea for it that I won’t say. I’m not saying it has to be five, six years from now. But I think people would be just as excited for it if it came a little down the road. It’s a whirlwind, and I’m trying to figure it out.”

Barker also clarified the nature of the story, explaining that the film’s premise involving the One Wish Willow allows for various standalone stories rather than a direct sequel. He said, “This just happens to be a premise where there is a lot more to be done. It’s not really a sequel. It’s just a new guy or girl with a One Wish Willow: What does she wish for, and how does that change her life? There are so many stories to be told.”

Obsession is based on Bear Bailey, a man who has secret feelings for his friend and co-worker, Nikki Freeman. The plot moves further when Bear acquires the One Wish Willow and uses it to ensure Nikki loves him more than anything in the world. While the wish initially appears successful, the story takes a dark turn as Nikki’s love transforms into a dangerous obsession, causing her emotions and memories to distort. The film explores the severe consequences Bear faces as he tries to alter the curse.

Alongside lead actors Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, the film also stars Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, and Haley Fitzgerald. The production was written, edited, and directed by Curry Barker, with music by Rock Burwell and cinematography by Taylor Clemons.

 
Also Read: Obsession Review – Genuinely Original Psychological Horror

Conversations around authentic representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially in Hindi cinema, have always been fascinating. It is often said that cinema is a mirror of our culture and society. And the diversity of our culture is visible in the range of varied stories we see on the big screen. Historically, queer narratives in particular have leaned a lot towards struggle than joy, again mirroring the community’s reality. But that is not the entirety of the story. There is more to queer lives than just angst, frustration and sorrow.

Very rarely do we come across a queer narrative that feels incredibly fresh and fearless. One that doesn’t reduce a character’s identity to their sexuality alone. One that allows the character to exist as a fully realized individual who is equally funny, flawed, ambitions and most importantly humane as “normal protagonists”.

Today, a decade after its release, Shakun Batra’s Kapoor & Sons remains one of the few films to have such a refreshing take. In the film, Fawad Khan’s Rahul is a closeted gay man, but the beauty of the film lies in how Rahul is portrayed as an ordinary sports-loving, guitar-playing guy, any woman would easily fall in love with. The coming out scene in the film feels less of a spectacle and more of an actual reality that instantly strikes a chord. The film understands identity beyond labels.

Shakun spoke to us about his intent behind crafting Fawad’s character, the pressure associated with ‘coming out’ in Indian families and more. Read on…

Was there a conscious effort to avoid stereotypical coding of Rahul as a queer character?

Yes. The idea was never to “present” Rahul as queer through the usual cinematic shortcuts. I didn’t want the audience to identify his sexuality before they understood him as a son, a brother, a writer, and a deeply conflicted person carrying a secret.

For me, Rahul’s queerness was one part of his life, not the whole grammar of his personality. He could be charming, ambitious, flawed, emotionally evasive, loving, and also gay. That felt more truthful.

The effort was to avoid making his sexuality a twist for shock value or turning it into a visible performance. His queerness had to live in silence, in withholding, in the way he navigates love inside a family that may not have the vocabulary or readiness to receive his truth. That felt far more honest than any stereotype.

Do you think Indian family dynamics naturally intensify the emotional weight of coming-out stories on screen?

Yes, because in Indian families, identity is rarely individual. It belongs to the whole household.

Who you love, who you marry, what you do, where you live, everything somehow becomes family property. There is love in that, but also pressure. So, when someone comes out, they are not only revealing something personal. They are also disrupting an entire imagined future the family has built around them.  That’s what makes it emotionally loaded. The fear is not just rejection. It’s disappointment. It’s shame. It’s the possibility of being seen differently by the people whose love you still desperately need.

And I think that tension is very specific to our culture. The family can be your safest place and your most frightening courtroom at the same time. That contradiction is what makes these stories so powerful.

Could you talk to us through the coming-out scene in Kapoor & Sons? What was your thought process while writing and filming it?

The scene was never meant to be a “big reveal”. I was more interested in the aftermath of a truth entering the room. Rahul has lived with this secret for years. His mother has lived with an idea of him for years. And suddenly both realities collide. The scene had to hold that discomfort without trying to solve it too quickly.

While writing it, I wanted to avoid making anyone a villain. The mother’s reaction is painful, but it comes from shock, conditioning, fear and a sense of betrayal. Rahul’s pain is also not performative. He is exhausted. He has probably imagined this moment a hundred times and dreaded every version of it. So the emotion of the scene comes from restraint. It’s not about speeches. It’s about a son wanting to be loved exactly as he is, and a mother realizing that the child she thought she fully knew has been protecting himself from her.

While filming, the focus was on intimacy and awkwardness. Real family confrontations are messy. People don’t always say the right things. They repeat themselves, they deflect, they hurt each other without meaning to. I wanted the scene to feel like that, not polished, not overly written, just painfully human. For me, the heart of the scene is not Rahul saying he is gay. It’s the question underneath it: “Can you still love me now that you know?”

That question is simple, but it carries years of fear. And that’s what we were trying to capture.

Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Fawad Khan launch Kapoor & Sons Trailer