Media365
SS Rajamouli has spoken about his dissatisfaction with how Indian mythology has been adapted for cinema and how his upcoming film Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, is his attempt to correct what he sees as a longstanding failure of Indian filmmaking.
Speaking on the Empire Film Podcast, the director of Baahubali and RRR said he had never been fully satisfied with how the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been brought to screen. “I was never fully satisfied with how these epics were presented on screen,” he said, adding that he hopes to present the legendary stories of India “in an even grander manner” through Varanasi.
What Varanasi is
Varanasi is not a straightforward adaptation of the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. It is described as an adventure film that combines large-scale action with elements inspired by Indian mythology. Rajamouli has said he wants audiences to be able to understand the emotions and events of the film without needing detailed prior knowledge of the original epics. The approach suggests a film that draws from mythological themes and characters but tells its own story within that framework, similar to how RRR used real historical figures as a springboard for an entirely fictional narrative.
The film stars Mahesh Babu in the lead role, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran in key supporting parts. It is Rajamouli’s first film since RRR, and Mahesh Babu’s most ambitious project to date.
Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama
One of the most pivotal elements of Varanasi is a sequence inspired by the Ramayana in which Mahesh Babu appears as Lord Rama. Rajamouli has previously said that seeing the actor in the character’s look gave him goosebumps. “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 said in an interaction with students of Penn State University in the United States.
“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,” Rajamouli added.
Also Read: From dual timelines to time travel: How SS Rajamouli’s storytelling leapt towards Varanasi
Story continues below this ad
The sequence reportedly took 60 days to film. Rajamouli has described the challenges involved in shooting what is expected to be a centre piece of the narrative. He has said the scene will be both “visually grandiose and very emotional at the same time,” suggesting an approach that prioritises the emotional weight of the mythology alongside the spectacle.
The makers of Varanasi have announced April 7, 2027 as the worldwide theatrical release date. The film will release in multiple languages, consistent with Rajamouli’s pan-Indian distribution model established through Baahubali and RRR. The release date places Varanasi approximately five years after RRR, the longest gap between consecutive Rajamouli films in his career.
For Mahesh Babu, the film represents a significant career pivot. The Telugu superstar, whose filmography has been largely built on contemporary action and romantic dramas, is entering mythological territory for the first time, under a director whose track record suggests the result will be unlike anything Mahesh Babu’s audience has seen him do before. For Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Varanasi marks a return to major Indian cinema after years focused primarily on Hollywood and international projects.
