Tamil actor Karthi’s milestone 30th film, a Tamil-Telugu bilingual co-starring Meenakshi Chaudhary, officially went on floors with a grand pooja ceremony on the actor’s birthday, May 25 .
The film, tentatively titled ‘Karthi 30’, is directed by Kalyan Shankar, known for the blockbuster youth comedies ‘Mad’ (2023) and its sequel ‘Mad Square’ (2025) .
What we know so far
The project marks a significant shift for director Kalyan Shankar, who is moving from youthful comedies to a large-scale superhero action entertainer . The film is being produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi under the prestigious banner of Sithara Entertainments, known for successful films like ‘Vaathi’, ‘Lucky Baskhar’ and ‘Viswanath & Sons’ .
The pooja ceremony was held at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad and was attended by notable industry figures including producer Dil Raju and actor Sunil . The makers have confirmed that the shoot is “progressing in full swing” and that the title and first look will be unveiled soon .
Karthi’s return to direct Telugu cinema
This project is particularly significant for Karthi as it marks his return to a straight Telugu film after nearly a decade. The actor was last seen in a direct Telugu project with the 2016 bilingual ‘Oopiri’ (also made in Tamil as ‘Thozha’) . While Karthi enjoys a massive fan following in the Telugu states through his dubbed Tamil films, this bilingual will be shot simultaneously in both languages with equal prominence given to each market .
Industry buzz suggests that the film is based on a superhero concept, making it a unique attempt in South Indian cinema. The script was reportedly first narrated to actor Ravi Teja, but eventually landed with Karthi, who was thoroughly impressed by the scale and treatment .
Meenakshi Chaudhary’s role
Actress Meenakshi Chaudhary, who was last seen in Telugu in ‘Anaganaga Oka Raju’, plays the female lead opposite Karthi. Her last Tamil outing was in actor Vijay’s ‘The Greatest of All Time’ (GOAT) .
What’s next for Karthi
Karthi currently has a packed lineup. He has completed shooting for ‘Sardar 2’, directed by P.S. Mithran, which is in the post-production stage. He is also working on ‘Marshal’, directed by Tamizh of ‘Taanakkaran’ fame, co-starring Kalyani Priyadarshan .
With ‘Karthi 30’, the actor is aiming for a massive pan-South footprint, bringing together a rising director, a successful production house, and a popular leading lady for what promises to be an ambitious superhero entertainer .
