20 October,2026 05:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
SS Rajamouli on Varanasi (Pics/X)
SS Rajamouli is gearing up to bring an ambitious cinematic spectacle to the big screen with Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu in the lead role. The filmmaker recently opened up about working with the Telugu superstar, revealing how the actor exceeded his expectations and delivered far more than he had imagined. Rajamouli also shared his vision of presenting India's legendary stories on an unprecedented scale.
During a conversation on the Empire Film Podcast, Rajamouli said, "I was never fully satisfied with how these epics were presented on screen," adding that he hopes to bring the legendary stories of India alive "in an even grander manner" through Varanasi.
"With Mahesh Babu in Varanasi, I expected him to give 100 percent, because that's what I know he is capable of. But once I started working with him, he completely exceeded my expectations. He went beyond everything I had imagined and gave 200 percent. He really nailed the character and surprised me with how much he brought to it. He did much more than I expected, and that made working with him on Varanasi a really special experience," the filmmaker said while speaking at a university in the United States.
According to some reports, Varanasi is expected to be an action-adventure film that revolves around a high-stakes time-travel mission involving an asteroid threat to the world. However, there has been no confirmation about the film's storyline yet. Speaking to European magazine Tsounami, Rajamouli revealed that Varanasi will take audiences on an extraordinary journey unlike anything seen before in Indian cinema. According to the filmmaker, the story begins in the holy city of Varanasi before travelling to Antarctica and Africa.
Amid this, the leaked visuals are generating a massive buzz among fans. Earlier, Mahesh Babu's bloodied visuals from the film had leaked online ahead of his birthday.
With Varanasi, Rajamouli appears to be bringing that level of world-building into an Indian time-travel spectacle. The film is expected to move between different locations and historical periods, making its fictional language another tool to build the world beyond the central characters. Varanasi is scheduled to release on April 7, 2027. Notably, Priyanka makes her Indian cinema comeback with the film, playing the action-packed character of Mandakini.
