South Indian cinema is gearing up for a thrilling ride with its upcoming movies. From Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages, these films promise a mix of exciting stories and talented stars. Directors are bringing fresh ideas and cool visuals to the screen, making these movies a must-watch for everyone. Whether it’s action, romance, comedy, or something totally new, there’s something for every movie lover. The anticipation is high as these films are set to take audiences on an entertaining journey, pushing the boundaries of storytelling and leaving a lasting impact. Get ready to be wowed by the creativity and diversity of South Indian cinema as these upcoming releases promise a cinematic experience like no other.
1- Pushpa 2
Director: Sukumar
Writers: A.R. PrabhavSukumarSrikanth Vissa
Stars: Rashmika MandannaFahadh FaasilAllu Arjun
Pushpa 2: The Rule is an upcoming Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Sukumar, produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Sukumar Writings, it stars Allu Arjun as the titular character alongside Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna. It is a sequel to the 2021 film Pushpa: The Rise and the second installment in the Pushpa film series.
Made on a budget of ₹500 crore, the film is one of the most expensive Indian films to date. It is scheduled to release on 15 August 2024.
2- Devara
Director: Koratala Siva
Writer: Koratala Siva
Stars: N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor
Devara (which means God) is a new movie in the Telugu language from India. It’s about action and drama. Koratala Siva wrote and directed it. Sudhakar Mikkilineni and Kosaraju Harikrishna are producing it for Yuvasudha Arts and N. T. R. Arts. The main actors are N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Janhvi Kapoor, with Saif Ali Khan playing the main bad guy. Anirudh Ravichander is making the music, and R. Rathnavelu and A. Sreekar Prasad are working on the camera and editing. Sabu Cyril is the production designer for the movie.
3- Kalki 2898 AD
Director: Nag Ashwin
Writer: Nag Ashwin
Stars: Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas
Kalki 2898 AD is a big upcoming movie from India. It’s a futuristic sci-fi story directed and written by Nag Ashwin. C. Aswani Dutt from Vyjayanthi Movies is producing it. The movie has a bunch of famous actors like Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani.
The film was announced under the working title Project K in February 2020 coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Vyjayanthi Movies. But because of COVID-19, they had to wait a year to start making it. They began filming in July 2021 at a fancy set in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. They shot it in both Telugu and Hindi languages.
This movie costs ₹600 crore (that’s about US$75 million), making it the most expensive Indian movie ever. The music is by Santhosh Narayanan, Djordje Stojiljkovic is the cinematographer, and Nitin Zihani Choudhary is in charge of the production design. Kalki 2898 AD is set to come out in cinemas in 2024.
4- Kanguva
Director: Siva
Writers: Madhan Karky, Adi Narayana, Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani
Kanguva, also known as Kanguva: A Mighty Valiant Saga, is a new action-packed movie from India. It’s set in the past and has a lot of drama. Siva directed it, and Adi Narayana wrote the story. The movie is produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja, V. Vamsi Krishna Reddy, and Pramod Uppalapati for Studio Green and UV Creations. Suriya is the main star, playing six different roles, alongside actors like Disha Patani and Bobby Deol, who are making their debut in Tamil cinema. The movie also features Natarajan Subramaniam, Jagapathi Babu, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, Kovai Sarala, Anandaraj, Ravi Raghavendra, K. S. Ravikumar, and B. S. Avinash.
They first talked about this movie in April 2019, calling it Suriya 39, which was supposed to be Suriya’s 39th leading role. They started getting ready to make it in January 2021, but things got delayed because Siva had to direct another movie called Annaatthe in 2021. After some delays, they thought of dropping the project, but in January 2022, Suriya said it was still happening. At one point, Gnanavel Raja decided it was too expensive to produce, but later, UV Creations agreed to help make it happen.
They officially restarted the project in August, calling it Suriya 42 as it became Suriya’s 42nd movie where he’s the main actor. They started filming in Chennai that month and plan to finish by November 2023. They also shot scenes in Goa, Kerala, Kodaikanal, and Rajahmundry. The title ‘Kanguva’ was announced in April 2023. The team behind the scenes includes Devi Sri Prasad for music, Vetri Palanisamy as the cinematographer, and Nishadh Yusuf as the editor. This movie costs around ₹300–350 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.
5- Merry Christmas
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Writer: Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, Anukriti Pandey
Stars: Vijay Sethupathi, Katrina Kaif, Radhika Apte
Merry Christmas is a new thriller movie from India. Sriram Raghavan, in his first Tamil movie, directed and co-wrote it with Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, and Anukriti Pandey. Ramesh Taurani, Jaya Turani, Sanjay Routray, and Gewal Garg produced it for Tips Films and Matchbox Pictures. The stars are Katrina Kaif, debuting in Tamil, and Vijay Sethupathi. They filmed it in both Tamil and Hindi languages.
They announced the movie in December 2021 and started filming right away in Mumbai. They finished shooting in January 2023. The music is by Pritam, also debuting in Tamil. Background music, cinematography, and editing are done by Daniel B. George, Madhu Neelakandan, and Pooja Ladha Surti, respectively. At first, they planned to make it only in Hindi, but in August 2023, Raghavan said they were also doing it in Tamil.
Merry Christmas is set to come out on January 12, 2024.
6- Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1
Director: Rishab Shetty
Writer: Rishab Shetty
Stars: Rishab ShettyAchyuth KumarManasi Sudhir
Kantara: Chapter 1 is a new action-packed movie from India in the Kannada language. It’s set back in time during the rule of the Kadambas of Banavasi. Rishab Shetty wrote and directed it, and Vijay Kiragandur produced it for Hombale Films. This movie comes before the story in the 2022 film called Kantara. Rishab Shetty is the main star.
7- Indian 2
Director: S. Shankar
Writers: Aditya Dhar, Jayamohan, Vamsy Krishna
Stars: Kamal Haasan, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Siddharth
Indian 2 is an upcoming action movie from India in the Tamil language. Directed by S. Shankar and produced by Lyca Productions and Red Giant Movies, it’s a follow-up to the movie ‘Indian’ from 1996. Kamal Haasan plays Senapathy, an older fighter turned crime-fighter battling corruption. The movie has a big cast, including S. J. Suryah, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and many more.
They announced Indian 2 in September 2017 and started filming in January 2019 in places like Chennai, Rajahmundry, Bhopal, and Gwalior. Unfortunately, there was an accident in February 2020 that caused some crew members to lose their lives. Because of this and other issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie had to stop production. But it started again in August 2022, and Red Giant Movies joined as co-producers. They filmed more scenes in Tirupati, Chennai, Vijayawada, Johannesburg, and Taiwan. The team behind the scenes includes Anirudh Ravichander for music, Ravi Varman and R. Rathnavelu as cinematographers, A. Sreekar Prasad as the editor, T. Muthuraj as the production designer, and V. Srinivas Mohan as the VFX supervisor.
8- Kannappa
Kannappa is an upcoming Indian Telugu-language fantasy drama film directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh. It is based on the mythological story of Kannappa, a devotee of Hindu god Shiva. The film was produced by Mohan Babu through his companies AVA Entertainment and 24 Frames Factory. The screenplay was written by Vishnu Manchu based on a story developed by Paruchuri Gopala Krishna, Eshwar Reddy, G. Nageswara Reddy, and Thota Prasad. The film stars Manchu in the title role.
The film was formally launched on 18 August 2023. Principal photography began on 25 September 2023 in New Zealand. The original score and songs were composed by Stephen Devassy and Mani Sharma. Originally shot in Telugu, the film would be dubbed and released in multiple Indian languages.
