Key Points

'Rakshasudu' was the Telugu remake of the Tamil superhit film 'Ratsasan', featuring Vishnu Vishal and Amala Paul in the lead. However, while the Tamil makers haven't come up with a sequel, actor and producer Koneru Lakshman Havish, whose production house produced the Telugu remake of the film, is now well on his way to making a sequel to the much-loved crime thriller in Telugu.

In an exclusive interview to IANS, Havish shared details of how they got the spark for a sequel and what the status of the film currently is.

"After 'Rakshasudu' released, the kind of love and curiosity the audience had was incredible. Many people asked, 'What happens next in the life of Arun?' That sort of planted the seed. We didn’t want to do a sequel just for the sake of it—we waited until we had a story that was truly gripping and organically extended the character’s journey," begins the producer and actor.

"We’ve developed an original script that retains the psychological thriller's essence, but it’s darker, more intense, and explores a new case with a very different antagonist. Right now, we’re in the advanced pre-production stage. The script is locked, and we’re scouting for locations. I can’t reveal too much, but I promise it’s going to be worth the wait," he explains.

At the moment, Havish is also working on a film that is being directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, known for his all-out comedy entertainers. Sources say this upcoming film, a complete commercial entertainer with solid humour, will feature Havish in a pivotal role.

Comedy is probably the most difficult genre among all genres for an actor to deal with. Ask him about his role in this film and his preparations for it and he says, "Working with Trinadha Rao Nakkina garu has been a blast—his timing, his understanding of humour, and how he crafts his characters are just amazing. My role in the film is that of an everyday guy who finds himself caught in some wildly unexpected situations. It's one of those characters that audiences will instantly connect with, but what makes it fun is how his reactions, expressions, and dialogues elevate the comedy."

"As for preparations, comedy is all about rhythm. It’s like music—if you're off by even a second, the joke falls flat. So I’ve been working a lot on my timing, body language, and even improvising on set. We’ve had a few rehearsals where we just explored different reactions to the same scene—trying to find that perfect beat. It’s been creatively satisfying and a lot of fun!," he adds.

Havish, who is confident that his character in this film will surprise the audience for sure, says that they are eyeing a big festive window, most likely Sankranthi or Summer next year, for the film's release.

"These are tentative plans, of course, but everything’s shaping up really well," he signs off.

- IANS