Anil Ravipudi, who has delivered some big hits in the past couple of years like F2: Fun and Frustration, Bhagavanth Kesari, and Sankranthiki Vasthunam, is working with Chiranjeevi in his next film. The project, tentatively titled MEGA157, promises to present Chiranjeevi in a light-hearted avatar after a long time. In a recent interview, Anil Ravipudi spoke about his goals with MEGA157.

Speaking to ABN Chitrajyothy, Anil states, “For kids who grew up in the 80s, Chiranjeevi fandom was a common thing in households. Be it his dance, action or other elements, everyone loved him. His influence is unmistakable. I wanted to capture that shade of Chiranjeevi, which I grew up watching.”

Further talking about Chiranjeevi's role in his film, Anil Ravipudi noted, “His characters were very lively back then, be it Gang Leader, Gharana Mogudu or Rowdy Alludu. His character had heroism, yet he seemed like a normal person. When Chiranjeevi spoke on screen, it felt like he was talking to us. To have such a character again would be great, I thought. Our protagonist Shiva Shankar Vara Prasad should look believable — that’s how we wrote and executed this role.” The difference will also be prominent in Chiranjeevi’s appearance, Anil said, adding, “Looks-wise too, audience will be very surprised.”

Produced under Shine Screens and Goldbox Entertainments banner, MEGA157 stars Nayanthara in the lead cast,  while also featuring Venkatesh in an extended cameo. Bheems Ceciroleo is composing music for the film. MEGA157’s technical crew includes Sameer Reddy as director of photography, Tammiraju as editor, and AS Prakash handling production design. Anil shares writing credits with S Krishna and G Adi Narayana.

The team recently wrapped up a schedule in Kerala. Reports suggest that Chiranjeevi plays a sports drill master for a kids school. The film is slated for a Sankranti 2026 release.