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S.S. Rajamouli Unveils 'Varanasi' With Teaser, Introducing Mahesh Babu as Rudhra

Rajamouli positions the globe-spanning, myth-inflected adventure for a Sankranti 2027 IMAX rollout.

Overview

  • At a packed GlobeTrotter event in Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City, the title and first teaser were revealed before an estimated 50,000 attendees, with a global livestream on Jio Hotstar and Variety’s YouTube channel.
  • Mahesh Babu’s character Rudhra is introduced with trident-and-bull imagery, as Priyanka Chopra plays Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran appears as the antagonist Kumbha.
  • Producers signaled a worldwide theatrical release in January 2027 to coincide with Sankranti, following the teaser’s public debut after a brief technical delay at the venue.
  • Rajamouli said a major sequence draws from the Ramayana and was recently completed after a 60‑day shoot, underscoring the film’s mythic scope across periods and locations.
  • The director announced music by MM Keeravaani and a new large‑scale IMAX‑oriented filming approach, and he condemned a pre-show drone leak that exposed teaser visuals during testing.