David Warner to make Tollywood debut with ‘Robinhood’

Australian cricketer David Warner has long been vocal about his admiration for Indian cinema, particularly the works of Allu Arjun. Throughout the pandemic, Warner frequently shared videos on social media, recreating Arjun’s iconic dialogues and dance sequences alongside his family. While many assumed that his love for the actor would eventually lead to a collaboration, Warner’s much-anticipated entry into Telugu cinema is set to take a different route.

In a surprising revelation at an event in Hyderabad on Monday (March 3) evening, producer Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movies confirmed that Warner will soon be making his Telugu film debut.

However, rather than starring in an Allu Arjun project, the cricketer has landed an intriguing role in director Venky Kudumula’s upcoming film “Robinhood”, featuring Nithiin and Sreeleela in the lead.

During the event, when the anchor playfully nudged for details about the film, producer Ravi Shankar hesitated before responding with a coy smile, “There’s a special cameo in this film, but I’m not sure if I should reveal it just yet.”

As lead actor Nithiin encouraged him to spill the secret, Ravi finally gave in, admitting, “David Warner has a brief but exciting role in the film. I apologise, Venky, for letting this slip without your approval—but they wouldn’t let me off the hook!”

“It’s a proud moment for us to introduce him to Indian cinema, especially through Robinhood,” he added.

Hints of Warner’s cinematic venture had surfaced months earlier when Australian media leaked behind-the-scenes snapshots from an Indian film shoot.

In September last year, he was spotted filming in Melbourne, clad in a crisp white shirt.

Reports from 7News described a striking scene where Warner dramatically stepped out of a helicopter, casually holding a lollipop, before later drawing a golden gun in a face-off against a gang of armed men.

At the time, reports speculated about the nature of Warner’s project, though the presence of a South Asian film crew strongly hinted at an Indian production.

This development followed his collaboration with renowned filmmaker SS Rajamouli for a commercial back in April of that year. When behind-the-scenes images from his shoot surfaced online, fans were quick to assume that Warner might have a role in “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, the highly anticipated sequel starring Allu Arjun, which eventually hit theatres in December.