The title of director Anil Ravipudi‘s multi-starrer featuring Venkatesh Daggubati and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram was announced on Wednesday. The film is called January 12 Vidudala, a title that playfully doubles as the film’s confirmed release date, placing it squarely in the Sankranthi 2027 window, a period Ravipudi has made his own over the past few years.

The title follows the same approach Ravipudi used with Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, where the film’s name was directly tied to the festive release period. It also echoes the naming style of veteran Telugu director Vamsy’s 1980s film April 1 Vidudala, a connection that is unlikely to be accidental given Ravipudi’s well-known admiration for the comedy traditions of Telugu cinema.

The announcement came through a humorous video featuring the principal cast. The clip opens with a tribute to late director EVV Satyanarayana, whose work has been a major creative influence on Anil Ravipudi, followed by a reference to EVV’s classic comedy Appula Appa Rao. In the video, the cast asks Ravipudi for the film’s title. His response, “January 12 Vidudala,” leaves them confused, as they mistake it for a release date announcement rather than the actual title. The joke lands when Ravipudi clarifies that the phrase they heard is, in fact, the title of the film.

సంక్రాంతికి వచ్చే మన సినిమా పేరు… ☺️

“జనవరి 12 విడుదల” – బావ బామ్మర్ది సౌజన్యంతో 🤩https://t.co/N7Sxo2q55l#January12Vidudala Grand Release worldwide for SANKRANTHI on JANUARY 12th 2027 💥 pic.twitter.com/pca7NIzWl9

— Anil Ravipudi (@AnilRavipudi) August 19, 2026

The video also introduces the tagline “Bava Bammardi Soujanyamtho,” which roughly translates to “with the courtesy of brothers-in-law,” hinting at the relationship between the characters played by Venkatesh and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. The two are reportedly playing brothers-in-law in the film, making their on-screen dynamic the central draw.

This marks the first time Venkatesh and Kalyan Ram are sharing the screen. For Venkatesh, it is his fifth collaboration with Anil Ravipudi, following F2, F3, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam and a memorable extended cameo in Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. For Kalyan Ram, it is a reunion with the director who gave him his first film as a producer, Pataas, which was Ravipudi’s directorial debut.

Keerthy Suresh is paired opposite Venkatesh, while Krithi Shetty plays the female lead opposite Kalyan Ram. The music is composed by GV Prakash Kumar. The film is produced by Sahu Garapati under Shine Screens, presented by Suresh Productions and Smt. Archana, in association with Zee Studios.

The festival window

Anil Ravipudi enters the Sankranthi 2027 race riding a remarkable streak. Sankranthiki Vasthunnam grossed over Rs 255 crore worldwide in January 2025. Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, his Chiranjeevi-Venkatesh starrer that released on January 12, 2026, crossed Rs 350 crore worldwide and was described as his ninth consecutive blockbuster. With January 12 Vidudala, the director is clearly aiming to maintain his hold on the Sankranthi box office, a period he has dominated more consistently than any other Telugu filmmaker in recent years.

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Shooting for the film began with a muhurat ceremony on June 14, and is currently progressing at a rapid pace.