S.S. Rajamouli drew a stadium-sized crowd to Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City on Saturday as he unveiled the first look of Varanasi, his 2027 tentpole starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The filmmaker, known globally for RRR and the Baahubali franchise, described the project—long teased as “GlobeTrotter”—as the most demanding production of his career and confirmed it is being crafted for IMAX release.
The launch, staged on a massive 110-by-130-foot LED screen framed by replicas of Varanasi’s ghats, premiered a sweeping first teaser that confirmed the film’s genre-bending premise: a time-travel saga rooted in Hindu mythology.
Rajamouli told fans that one major sequence draws from “an important episode from the Ramayana,” admitting he didn’t expect to approach such material so early in his filmography. “While writing every scene and every dialogue, I felt like I was floating,” he said, revealing that the 60-day shoot for the sequence was among the toughest he has ever undertaken.
Mahesh Babu, collaborating with Rajamouli for the first time, arrived in character, literally, making his entrance atop a mechanical white bull before his on-screen avatar flashed across the colossal screen: a blood-marked warrior named Rudhra, trident in hand. Calling the film “a once-in-a-lifetime project,” the actor promised, “I will make everyone proud. The whole of India will be proud of us.” His daughter Sitara’s now-viral chant of “Jai Babu” during the event only fueled the frenzy.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, returning to Indian cinema after recent Hollywood outings, was introduced as Mandakini. Dressed in white and greeted with roaring applause, she reflected on her reunion with the industry and her co-star.
“I know him as MB — the legendary, incredible Mahesh Babu,” she told the crowd, thanking his family for making her “feel like Hyderabad is my home.”
Prithviraj Sukumaran, revealed earlier this month as the antagonist Kumbha, spoke candidly about the demands of his role, calling it “physically and emotionally exhausting.” Rajamouli responded with a playful “Enda mashe, adipoli!” while fans cheered on the Malayalam star.
The event doubled as a spectacle, complete with fireworks, musical performances, and a sea of chanting attendees, as Rajamouli recapped the film’s evolution from its GlobeTrotter codename to Varanasi.
The director acknowledged a disruptive drone leak during the previous day’s test run, but the unveiling proceeded with the scale and precision expected of him. Priyanka’s character reveal, trending online as “Desi girl is back,” further amplified the attention around the long-awaited project.
Projected for a 2027 release, Varanasi follows a world-spanning hero confronting mythic forces across continents, blending Rajamouli’s grand mythological imagination with a time-hopping narrative that marks one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious undertakings yet.
Watch the official teaser trailer below:
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