Hyderabad: Atlee’s upcoming sci-fi action film Raaka, starring Allu Arjun, Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna, is generating fresh buzz after reports revealed more details about the female characters. According to an India Today report, Deepika Padukone is set to play a pregnant woman, while Janhvi Kapoor will reportedly portray a tribal queen in the ambitious film.
The reported character details offer a glimpse into the expansive world being created by director Atlee. While the film’s makers have kept much of the story under wraps, the latest information suggests that the female characters are not merely supporting figures and could have distinct roles within the film’s larger narrative.
Raaka, which is being mounted on a massive scale, has already attracted attention because of its combination of Allu Arjun and Atlee, along with a high-profile female cast featuring Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.
Deepika Padukone reportedly plays a pregnant woman
Deepika Padukone is reportedly set to portray a pregnant woman in Raaka, according to the latest report.
The revelation adds an interesting dimension to the actor’s character because the film is described as a sci-fi action project with an expansive fictional world. The nature of her character’s connection to the larger story, however, has not been officially disclosed by the makers.
The report suggests that Deepika’s character will have an important arc within the narrative rather than being included simply as a conventional romantic lead. Her role is expected to be significantly different from the character being played by Janhvi Kapoor.
Deepika has also been shooting for Raaka during the later stages of her pregnancy in real life, according to recent reports. Times of India reported that she continued filming during her eighth month of pregnancy as the production team worked to complete her portions ahead of her expected delivery in September.
However, her real-life pregnancy and the reported pregnancy of her character are separate aspects of the production and should not be treated as the same development.
Janhvi Kapoor reportedly plays a tribal queen
Janhvi Kapoor is reportedly taking on an entirely different role in Raaka.
According to India Today, she will play a tribal queen, giving her character a distinct identity within the film’s sprawling fictional universe.
The report indicates that Janhvi and Deepika’s characters will have vastly different story arcs.
The tribal-queen character could potentially connect to the film’s historical or alternate-world elements, although details about her background, relationship with Allu Arjun’s character and role in the central conflict remain undisclosed.
Janhvi’s reported casting is also significant because Raaka marks another major South Indian project for the actor as she expands her presence beyond Hindi cinema.
The actor has already been associated with high-profile Telugu projects, and Raaka places her alongside some of the biggest names in Indian cinema.
Rashmika Mandanna’s role remains under wraps
Rashmika Mandanna is also part of the film’s ensemble cast, but her specific character details have not been revealed to the same extent.
Earlier reports have suggested that Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna and Janhvi Kapoor will feature in different portions of the film’s narrative. Another report has claimed that the film could involve multiple timelines and a large-scale storyline.
Rashmika’s involvement has added further interest to the project, particularly because she is already a major name in Telugu cinema and has worked with Allu Arjun in the Pushpa franchise.
However, unlike the latest reports surrounding Deepika and Janhvi, her precise role in Raaka has not been officially explained.
Allu Arjun leads Atlee’s ambitious project
Raaka is headlined by Allu Arjun and directed by Atlee, whose previous films include Tamil blockbusters and the Shah Rukh Khan-led Bollywood action entertainer Jawan.
The collaboration has generated considerable interest because both names have established themselves with large-scale commercial cinema.
Allu Arjun is coming off the success of the Pushpa franchise, while Atlee has expanded his reach into Hindi cinema following Jawan.
Their collaboration is expected to combine action, science fiction and fantasy elements on a scale larger than a conventional commercial film.
The project is being produced by Sun Pictures and is reportedly one of the studio’s most ambitious productions.
Raaka is reportedly being planned on a huge scale
The film has been surrounded by reports about its scale and production ambitions.
Earlier reports suggested that Raaka could be mounted as a two-part franchise, with the story spanning different timelines and worlds. A report in the Free Press Journal said the project was being planned as a two-part film with a reported budget of around Rs 1,000 crore.
The makers have maintained considerable secrecy around the film’s plot.
That secrecy has encouraged speculation about the characters, timelines and visual world of the project.
If the two-part format materialises, Raaka could become one of the most ambitious Indian film franchises in terms of scale and production design.
Deepika’s real-life pregnancy has added attention
Deepika’s reported role in the film has attracted additional attention because the actor is currently expecting her second child with Ranveer Singh.
Recent reports said she continued shooting for Raaka during the eighth month of pregnancy. The production team has reportedly been working around her schedule to complete her portions before she takes a maternity break.
The situation has generated significant discussion because the actor has continued professional commitments during late pregnancy.
However, details about how the production is handling physically demanding scenes have largely remained part of media reports.
Any assumptions about specific action sequences or filming methods should therefore be treated cautiously unless confirmed by the filmmakers.
A different kind of role for Deepika
The reported pregnancy of Deepika’s character could also signal a departure from the conventional action-heroine template.
In large-scale Indian commercial cinema, female characters are increasingly being given more substantial narrative arcs, particularly in films built around multiple characters and timelines.
If the latest report is accurate, Deepika’s character could have a story that operates independently of the primary action narrative before intersecting with Allu Arjun’s storyline.
The pregnancy element could also become an important narrative device, although there is currently no confirmed information about how it fits into the plot.
Janhvi’s tribal queen could expand the film’s world
Janhvi Kapoor’s reported role as a tribal queen is equally intriguing.
A tribal kingdom or community could provide a distinct visual and cultural setting within the film’s fictional universe.
Atlee has previously worked with elaborate production designs and large-scale action sequences, and Raaka appears to be taking that approach even further.
The tribal setting could allow the filmmakers to explore a separate section of the story, particularly if reports about multiple timelines or interconnected worlds prove accurate.
However, there is currently no official confirmation about the fictional community, time period or cultural setting represented by Janhvi’s character.
The film’s female cast is attracting attention
Raaka has one of the more prominent female ensembles in contemporary Indian cinema.
Deepika Padukone is among Bollywood’s biggest stars, while Janhvi Kapoor has become an increasingly prominent actor across Hindi and Telugu projects. Rashmika Mandanna, meanwhile, has established herself as one of the leading names in South Indian cinema.
Earlier reports have also linked Mrunal Thakur to the film. One report suggested that the story could feature different women across separate timelines.
This has led to speculation that the film could feature multiple interconnected female characters rather than one conventional female lead.
Allu Arjun and Rashmika reunion adds interest
Rashmika’s involvement is particularly noteworthy because of her association with Allu Arjun through the Pushpa franchise.
The pair became one of the most popular on-screen combinations in Telugu cinema through Pushpa: The Rise and Pushpa 2: The Rule.
Their reunion in a project as ambitious as Raaka has therefore generated interest among fans.
However, Raaka is reportedly designed as a substantially different film, with science-fiction and fantasy elements forming an important part of its world.
It remains unclear how much screen space Rashmika will share with Allu Arjun.
Atlee continues to build large-scale cinema
Raaka represents another step in Atlee’s evolution as a filmmaker working on increasingly ambitious productions.
His Tamil films, including Theri, Mersal and Bigil, established his reputation for large-scale commercial storytelling.
He subsequently made his Hindi debut with Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, which became a major box-office success.
Raaka brings him back to South Indian cinema while giving him an opportunity to work with Allu Arjun.
The presence of multiple major actors indicates that the project is being designed as a pan-Indian cinematic event.
Why the character revelations matter
Character information is particularly significant for Raaka because the filmmakers have revealed relatively little about the actual story.
The reported details about Deepika’s pregnancy and Janhvi’s tribal-queen character offer small clues about the film’s narrative structure.
They also suggest that the female characters could belong to different environments or sections of the story.
At this stage, however, it would be premature to draw conclusions about their relationships or the eventual storyline.
The reports provide character descriptions, but the makers have yet to release a complete synopsis explaining how the different characters connect.
Film’s secrecy continues
Despite the growing number of reports about Raaka, the production team has largely maintained secrecy around the project.
The official title was revealed in April 2026, but several major story details remain unknown.
The secrecy is consistent with the approach often taken for large-scale science-fiction films, where revealing too much of the plot before release can reduce the impact of major visual and narrative surprises.
The latest character reports have nevertheless created fresh interest among fans.
What to expect from Raaka
Based on the information currently available, Raaka is shaping up as a large-scale science-fiction action film combining multiple major stars and an expansive fictional setting.
Allu Arjun is expected to lead the project, while Deepika, Janhvi and Rashmika are reportedly playing important roles.
The reported character details suggest that the female cast will have distinct identities rather than functioning solely as conventional romantic interests.
Deepika’s reported role as a pregnant woman and Janhvi’s reported portrayal of a tribal queen indicate that the film could explore very different worlds and circumstances.
Whether these characters belong to separate timelines, connected storylines or different sections of the same universe remains to be seen.
Conclusion
The latest reports about Raaka have provided fresh details about the roles of its leading women. According to India Today, Deepika Padukone will reportedly play a pregnant woman, while Janhvi Kapoor is set to portray a tribal queen in Atlee’s ambitious sci-fi action film starring Allu Arjun.
The reported roles suggest that the female characters will have distinct and potentially important story arcs within the film’s expansive world. Rashmika Mandanna is also part of the cast, although details about her character remain largely undisclosed.
The project has already attracted attention because of the collaboration between Allu Arjun and Atlee and the presence of a major ensemble cast. Reports have also suggested that the film could be structured as a two-part saga, although the makers have not publicly confirmed every detail surrounding its narrative and release strategy.
Deepika’s reported role has received additional attention because she has continued shooting for the film during the later stages of her real-life pregnancy, according to recent reports.
For now, fans will have to wait for an official character reveal or promotional material to understand how Deepika’s pregnant character, Janhvi’s tribal queen, Rashmika’s undisclosed role and Allu Arjun’s character fit into the larger story.
