# Mahakali glimpse set for August 24, Akshaye Khanna plays Shukracharya 2026-08-19T10:51:41+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 5 independent outlets The makers of Mahakali have announced that the film’s first glimpse will be released on August 24. A social media post from RKD Studios carried the line, “The End Begins”, alongside Akshaye Khanna’s look as Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras in Hindu mythology. The film is directed by Puja Kolluru and forms part of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe, which began with Hanu-Man. Bhoomi Shetty plays the lead, while Khanna and Rohit Saraf are also in the cast. Telugu360, M9 News and GreatAndhra report that the film was shot for more than 125 days, while the Times of India, Hindustan Times and GreatAndhra describe it as a large-scale production. The film is presented by RK Duggal and produced under the RKD Studios banner, with details differing across reports on the producer credits. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage broadly agrees on the August 24 glimpse, Khanna’s casting and the film’s place in the Prasanth Varma universe. Times of India and Hindustan Times foreground his transformation, while Telugu360 and M9 News stress the scale, shooting schedule and franchise expectations. GreatAndhra presents the project in promotional terms, using its high budget and Hanu-Man’s success to build anticipation. Hindustan Times adds fan reactions but gives less attention to production details. The measured reading is that the project’s immediate milestone is promotional, not a release date or performance claim. The August 24 glimpse will offer the next concrete evidence of its visual approach and Khanna’s role. ## Coverage Coverage: 5 sources, 1 neutral, 4 sensationalist - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Reports casting, mythology and announcement with limited promotional language - greatandhra.com (sensationalist) Leads with spectacle, high budget and franchise enthusiasm - telugu360.com (sensationalist) Emphasises blockbuster success, unprecedented expectations and visual scale - m9.news (sensationalist) Uses grand, massive and intrigued framing for promotional update - hindustantimes.com (sensationalist) Leads with fan frenzy, transformation and highly charged reactions This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 5 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T11:02:53+00:00. Tags: Akshaye Khanna, Bhoomi Shetty, Mahakali, Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/akshaye-khanna-to-play-shukracharya-in-mahakali/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/akshaye-khanna-to-play-shukracharya-in-mahakali/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/