One of Sukumar’s biggest strengths may also be his biggest weakness.
The director has built his reputation on extraordinary attention to detail. He spends months developing characters, refining scenes, and reworking scripts until he is fully satisfied. That approach has given Telugu cinema films like Rangasthalam and the Pushpa franchise. But it has also created a familiar pattern: Sukumar’s projects often take much longer than initially expected.
Now, the same situation appears to be repeating with RC17.
After the massive success of Pushpa 2, many expected Sukumar to move quickly into his next project with Ram Charan. The plan was reportedly for Ram Charan to begin the film soon after completing Peddi. Instead, industry buzz suggests the project is moving more slowly than anticipated. Reports indicate that Sukumar wants to spend the next few months refining the script and has reportedly informed the makers that he will lock the final version by Dasara 2026. If that timeline holds, shooting could begin only in early 2027.
Ram Charan is also reportedly planning to take a short break after the physically demanding shoot of Peddi. Industry reports suggest the actor is dealing with minor injuries and may also undergo a small surgery before returning to work.
However, the bigger discussion is about Sukumar himself.
At what point does perfection become overthinking?
The longer a film stays in development, the bigger the expectations become. There is also the Ram Charan factor. After the setbacks of Acharya and Game Changer, Peddi also hasn’t turned out to be a completely satisfying film. Naturally, fans are getting impatient to watch Charan in a universally accepted film.
RC17 is the reunion of the Rangasthalam combination. Expectations are so high that an average commercial entertainer will not be enough.
That may be exactly why Sukumar is refusing to rush. But the challenge is finding the right balance between perfection and momentum. A better script can certainly make a better film. At the same time, endless refinement can become a trap of its own.
For now, excitement around RC17 remains strong. The real question is whether Sukumar is carefully building another masterpiece or simply taking longer than necessary to get there.
