Anushka Shetty steps into the shoes of chef Anvitha Ravali Shetty; here's her first look from Anushka48

Anushka Shetty has carved her niche in Indian cinema in a manner that none of her contemporaries have managed to, across a wide spectrum of roles that challenged her as a performer. From Super to Arundhathi to Baahubali to Size Zero, Mirchi and Bhaagamathie, her range as a performer needs no introduction. The actress, who celebrates her birthday today, was last seen in the direct-to-OTT release Nishabdham (on Amazon Prime Video).

After a brief hiatus from cinema, Anushka is on a comeback trail with a quirky romantic comedy alongside Agent Sai Sreenivasa Athreya, Jathi Ratnalu actor Naveen Polishetty. The film is directed by P Mahesh Babu, best known for Sundeep Kishan and Regina Cassandra starrer Ra Ra Krishnayya. The film is bankrolled by UV Creations and commenced its shoot in the first half of this year. Nirav Shah is cinematographer for the same.

The makers of untitled film, currently referred to as #ProductionNo14/#Anushka48/#NaveenPolishetty3, had a special surprise for fans commemorating Anushka's birthday. Her first look from the film was launched earlier today, where she is donning a chef's coat and literally 'firing' all cylinders in a kitchen. Anushka plays the role of chef Anvitha Ravali Shetty in the project whose story is rumoured to revolve around two contrasting personalities falling in love. 

The actress is cast as a lead in Suresh Gopi's Malayalam film Ottakkomban. She hasn't committed to any other project yet. Meanwhile, her co-star in Anushka48, Naveen Polishetty is also part of Sithara Entertainments' next titled Anaganaga Oka Roju. His last release was Jathi Ratnalu in 2021 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video). The actor, who was also a standup comedian and worked extensively in AIB's videos, made his Hindi debut in the college comedy Chhichhore.