Rashmika Mandanna to play a negative role in Allu Arjun–Atlee film?

Even as the team of AA22xA6, the first-ever collaboration between Allu Arjun and director Atlee, continues to maintain secrecy, fresh buzz around the film is surfacing regularly. The latest talk is that Rashmika Mandanna has joined the shooting currently underway in Mumbai.

So far, the makers have officially announced only Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone as part of the cast. While media reports earlier suggested that Mrunal Thakur and Janhvi Kapoor were also involved, there has been no confirmation from the production team. Now, Rashmika Mandanna’s presence at the Mumbai schedule has grabbed attention and set social media buzzing.

Despite wedding-related rumours making headlines, Rashmika has remained focused on her professional commitments. Industry chatter suggests that this project marks her third collaboration with Allu Arjun after the massive successes of Pushpa and Pushpa 2. What has surprised fans the most is the buzz that she may be seen in a negative or grey-shaded role, a significant departure from her usual on-screen image.

Produced by Sun Pictures, the yet-untitled sci-fi drama is being mounted on a massive scale with an estimated budget of Rs 800 crore. The film is currently referred to as #AA22 or #AA22xA6 and is slated for a 2027 theatrical release. Sai Abhyankar is composing the music.

Allu Arjun has been dedicating himself entirely to this ambitious project for nearly a year and is reportedly aiming to complete the shoot by the first half of 2026.