Ram Charan and director Sukumar have officially kick-started their second collaboration with the launch of their upcoming film, tentatively titled ‘RC17’. The project was inaugurated with a grand pooja ceremony in Hyderabad on November 1, 2026. Megastar Chiranjeevi attended the event and sounded the clapboard, marking the formal beginning of the production. Meanwhile, a major update about the film’s music has emerged, with composer Anirudh Ravichander reportedly coming on board.According to Variety, Anirudh Ravichander has joined the project as its music composer. This marks his first collaboration with Sukumar and another association with Ram Charan after their earlier plans to work together on ‘Bruce Lee: The Fighter’ did not materialise, owing to scheduling conflicts. The development is particularly interesting as Sukumar has traditionally worked with Devi Sri Prasad on most of his films.
Anirudh Ravichander joins Ram Charan’s ‘RC17’
Ravichander’s association with ‘RC17’ now marks the first time Anirudh Ravichander will work with Sukumar and Ram Charan together. The filmmaker has maintained a long-standing professional association with Devi Sri Prasad, who has composed music for several of his directorial ventures.
Anirudh Ravichander reportedly exits Shah Rukh Khan ‘s ‘King ‘
Meanwhile, Ravichander was in the news over his rumoured exit from Shah Rukh Khan’s King. According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, he amicably stepped away from ‘King’ because of his packed professional schedule. A source quoted in the report stated that the composer could not dedicate the time required for a film of this scale. However, he has reportedly gifted Shah Rukh a theme track for the project, which is scheduled for a Christmas release.
Chiranjeevi gives the first clap at ‘RC17’ launch
The launch ceremony brought together several prominent members of the Telugu film industry. Ram Charan arrived at the venue and greeted the team before taking part in the traditional proceedings. A video shared by the production team captured moments from the event, which began at approximately 10:50 am.Chiranjeevi performed the ceremonial coconut-breaking ritual and sounded the clapboard for the film. Sharing a glimpse of the occasion, the makers wrote, “The journey of #RC17 begins with the MEGA CLAP Megastar @KChiruTweets garu sounded the clapboard and blessed the entire team of #RC17.”The event was attended by Sukumar and his wife, Ravi Shankar, Naveen Yerneni, Naga Vamsi, Rahul Sankrityan, Gopichand Malineni, Maruthi, Buchi Babu Sana, Vamsi Nandipati and Harish Shankar, among others.The project was first announced in March 2024. Ram Charan shared a photograph with Sukumar during the Holi celebrations, confirming that the actor and filmmaker were reuniting. Their upcoming film marks their first collaboration since the 2018 blockbuster ‘Rangasthalam’.