Riteish Deshmukh to play villain in Ram Pothineni's Telugu thriller RAPO23

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, who has made his name in Marathi films and Bollywood, is set to enter the Telugu film industry. He has won over audiences with his acting and comic style. He will play an important role in Ram Pothineni's upcoming film 'RAPO23'.

The film is a psychological action thriller, and Riteish will be seen as the villain. Fans are curious about his new role.

The makers officially announced Riteish Deshmukh's entry on Monday. A 53-second behind-the-scenes video from the set was shared along with the announcement. In the video, Ram Pothineni is seen sitting in the director's chair, while Riteish is seen arriving on the set and talking to Ram. Notably, Riteish's face is not shown in the video. This has added to fans' curiosity about his look in the film and what kind of villain he will be.

'RAPO23' is Ram Pothineni's first film as director. He has also written the story himself. Ram will play the lead character, 'Veera'. The film was officially announced on Ram's birthday. Introducing his character then, he had called the film "the story of a lone wolf".

Actress Samyuktha has also joined the cast. On her birthday, the makers welcomed her with a post on social media. This makes the cast look even stronger.

The first-look poster of the film offered a glimpse of a dark, crime background. The makers describe it as a psychological action thriller. A shooting schedule was completed in September. A large-scale action sequence was shot at night during this schedule, which the makers have described as offering a grand visual experience.

Action choreographer Kevin Master handled the action sequence. Cinematography is by Thirunavukkarasu, also called Thiru. A. S. Prakash is the production designer, and Peter Hein is also on board for action direction. Sam CS is composing the music.

Shooting for 'RAPO23' is currently under way in Hyderabad. The film will be released in theatres in December 2026.

After playing varied roles in Marathi and Hindi films, Riteish is now ready to make his mark in Telugu cinema.