From Africa and Antarctica to Ancient Rome, Rajamouli’s globetrotting spectacle is shaping up for the new experience in Indian Cinema.
The wait for Varanasi just got more exciting. On Mahesh Babu’s birthday, SS Rajamouli unveiled new character stills of the superstar as Rudhra, giving audiences their first fresh look at the rugged archaeologist at the centre of the ambitious globe-trotting adventure.
The new images immediately caught attention for their raw, grounded appearance. Rajamouli described Rudhra as “witty, vulnerable and fierce”. The filmmaker also revealed that the newly released frames come from the film’s Africa schedule, including locations around Kilimanjaro and the Maasai Mara.
That Africa connection is particularly important because Varanasi is being mounted on a MASSIVE Vision with epic scale. The film has travelled across continents for its story, with Kenya and Antarctica among the major international locations. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays historian Mandakini, also shared a behind the scenes photograph from the Africa schedule and called the experience the “ultimate adventure.”
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Mahesh Babu plays Rudhra, an archaeologist and explorer whose journey takes him into a much larger mystery involving history and a global threat. Priyanka Chopra Jonas stars as Mandakini, while Prithviraj Sukumaran plays Kumbha, the film’s antagonist.
The officially revealed premise has deliberately remained broad, but the makers have established that the story travels across thousands of years and several parts of the world. The film moves between Varanasi, Africa and Antarctica, while Ancient Rome and other historical periods are also part of its enormous canvas. Rajamouli has previously compared the adventure flavour to films such as Indiana Jones and James Bond, giving audiences an idea of the genre he is attempting.
According to the latest KBP REVIEW Reports, they added another major layer. Varanasi has reportedly completed more than 80% of its shoot, with the biggest action sequences already completed. Rajamouli is now working towards finishing the remaining portions before moving into the extensive post-production phase.
That is important because Rajamouli’s films are known for demanding enormous amounts of time in post-production. With Varanasi relying heavily on visual effects, large scale environments and international action sequences, the final stretch of production could be just as important as the shooting itself.
The film is being shot for IMAX, with the project becoming the first Indian and first non English- language film to use the 1.43:1 IMAX format for its major sequences. The format allows considerably more vertical image information than conventional widescreen presentations, making it particularly suited to huge landscapes, action and large-scale environments.
This decision makes even more sense when looking at the locations Rajamouli has chosen. Imagine the vast African wilderness, enormous Antarctic landscapes and large historical environments filling an expanded IMAX frame. The director himself has spoken about how difficult it was to contain the scale of the real African locations within the frame.
The team also made history by shooting portions of the film in Antarctica, including work around the Ross Ice Shelf. That makes Varanasi the first Indian film reported to have shot there, further underlining the production’s extraordinary geographical scope.
While the makers are keeping major plot details under wraps, a recently circulated synopsis has offered a glimpse into the film’s central conflict.
According to reports, the story involves a catastrophic asteroid threat connected to an object named Shambhavi, with Varanasi facing the possibility of becoming the epicentre of a global disaster. Rudhra and Mandakini are pulled into a race involving an ancient cosmic artefact that could hold the key to preventing the catastrophe.
The reports also claim that the narrative could move through different historical periods, creating a time-travel element that connects ancient history with the modern world. However, it is important to note that the detailed asteroid, artefact and multiple timeline plot points have not been fully confirmed by the makers.
What is confirmed is that Varanasi is designed as a time and space adventure. Its official promotional material and interviews have already established that the narrative stretches across different locations and eras, making it considerably more ambitious than a conventional archaeological adventure.
Plus point, Prithviraj’s Kumbha Could Be A Different Kind Of Villain Because of his presence adds another interesting dimension to the film.
The actor plays Kumbha, a key antagonist opposite Mahesh Babu. Reports describe him as a technologically advanced and extremely powerful figure who becomes involved in the larger mystery surrounding Rudhra and Mandakini.
Rajamouli has always placed considerable importance on his villains, and Varanasi appears to be following that tradition. The character is expected to be more than a straightforward physical opponent, with intelligence, technology and ambition potentially making Kumbha a very different challenge for Rudhra.
Priyanka Chopra’s Mandakini is equally important to the narrative. The film marks her return to Indian cinema after several years, and her character is expected to play a central role in the adventure rather than simply function as a conventional romantic lead. Entertainment Weekly’s recent first-look coverage also highlighted Mandakini as a major part of the film’s sprawling narrative.
For Mahesh Babu, the Africa schedule appears to have been the most unusual experiences of his career. The actor previously described shooting in the Maasai Mara, surrounded by wild animals and away from conventional film sets. According to Mahesh, after the initial intimidation of working in such an environment, the cameras almost disappeared from his mind because the surroundings became so immersive.
That approach is significant for Varanasi. Instead of creating every major environment through studio sets and visual effects, Rajamouli has clearly chosen to capture real locations wherever possible.
At the same time, the production has also recreated massive historical environments in Hyderabad. This combination of real-world locations, enormous sets and VFX could ultimately become one of the film’s biggest visual strengths.
Varanasi is currently scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on April 7, 2027, coinciding with Ugadi and Gudi Padwa festivities. With roughly 80% of filming reportedly complete, the next major phase will be finishing the remaining shoot and beginning the long post-production process.
The first glimpse already established the film as a global adventure, but the Mahesh Babu birthday stills have now provided something more personal a clearer idea of Rudhra himself.
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Jr NTR and Prashanth Neel’s Dragon unveiled its first glimpse on NTR’s birthday, introducing the actor in a dark and violent avatar as Luger, an assassin connected to the Afghan Trading Company. The film reportedly revolves around a global opium war involving the Afghan Trading Company and the Golden Triangle.
The project has also brought Anil Kapoor into a key role, with the veteran actor reportedly playing Raghuveer Rathod, the Chief of the Narcotics Bureau. Rukmini Vasanth is the female lead, while Ravi Basrur is handling the music.
The film has already completed international schedules, including Jordan, while major action portions have been filmed at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. A large European-style set was recently used for another action sequence, showing that Prashanth Neel is once again building an expansive world around his protagonist.
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Interestingly, the film has undergone a major shift from its original release plans. It was initially expected to arrive in June 2026 but was later pushed to June 11, 2027, giving the makers additional time for production and post-production.
Prashanth Neel has also spoken highly of Jr NTR’s energy and intelligence after spending years developing the project, comparing the actor’s energy to that of a “nuclear plant.”
