By “Varanasi”, which has already created massive excitement across India and globally. The promotions themselves started in a very unique way, with Hollywood-style interviews and international media coverage. Even though Rajamouli sir tried to control information, many important and exciting details about the movie were revealed.
Let us break down everything clearly and simply.
Movie Progress and Shooting Details
The updates we are seeing now are based on interactions that happened around November 2025. By that time, the movie had completed around 110 days of shooting. Interestingly, Rajamouli sir followed a smart strategy this time. Instead of shooting everything in order, he completed important portions first, especially scenes that require heavy VFX. This was done so that the visual effects team would get enough time to work and avoid delays during release.
Rajamouli sir did massive pre-production work, especially for the Varanasi portions. The planning level is extremely high, and nothing is left to chance.
Mahesh Babu’s Transformation and Dedication
Mahesh Babu’s dedication to this film is on another level. He prepared for almost one full year for his role. Fans usually love Mahesh Babu’s stylish running, but for this film, he completely changed his running technique. He trained for six months, just for two shots in the movie. That shows the level of perfection expected in this project.
Mahesh Babu is also playing a Ram-like role, inspired by Indian mythology. Acting like Lord Ram is not easy. Rajamouli sir wanted Mahesh Babu to avoid modern body language completely. For this, Mahesh trained in posture correction for three months. He studied European statues, filled his room with reference images, and even kept similar images as his phone wallpaper.
When Mahesh saw his first shot, he felt extremely happy and said that all the training was totally worth it.
There is also a fun incident. Once, Mahesh was walking abroad with Gautam (his son) and unknowingly walked with the same royal posture of his character. Foreigners stared at him strangely, and only then he realized and started walking normally again. This shows how deeply he got into the character.
Movie Duration, Ramayana Episode, and Genre
Many people had doubts whether “Varanasi” would have a sequel. Rajamouli sir clearly answered this. Initially, there was an idea to make it in two parts, but that plan was dropped very early. He decided to tell the entire story in one complete film, with a runtime of around three hours.
Out of these three hours, around 25 minutes will be dedicated to a Ramayana episode, which is very important to the story.
The movie genre is officially revealed as:
- Action
- Adventure
- Mythology
- Time Travel
“Varanasi” is a complete standalone film, with no part two or sequel.
Story Overview (Without Spoilers)
The core story revolves around a powerful evil mastermind who wants to control the world. The protagonist Rudra rises to protect the world from this massive threat.
The story starts in 7000 BC and then connects to 2027, using a unique and well-thought-out time travel concept. This is not simple machine-based time travel. Rajamouli sir has created special logic rooted in Indian philosophy and ideas.
Villain: Kumbha (Played by Prithviraj Sukumaran)
In SS Rajamouli’s films, villains are always special, and Kumbha is no exception. Prithviraj Sukumaran plays this role.
Kumbha is physically weak but mentally extremely powerful. He is locked into a special chair, which is not just a wheelchair but an extension of his character. The chair has much more importance than what we saw in posters. It is possibly connected to his thoughts and mind.
Prithviraj revealed that to avoid involuntary hand or leg movement during long monologues, he was literally locked into the chair. He even joked about praying that flies should not sit on his face during shots because his character could not move.
Kumbha is described as unpredictable, dangerous, and intelligent. His thoughts influence the entire story, and events change because of his decisions.
Emotional Core: Father–Son Relationship
Rajamouli sir hinted that the movie has a strong father–son emotional bond. However, it is not fully clear whether this emotion belongs to:
- Rudra and his father in 2027, or
- Ram and Dasharatha in the Ramayana episode
Most likely, the emotional focus will be on Rudra and his father in the modern timeline.
Priyanka Chopra as Mandakini
Priyanka Chopra plays Mandakini, a very interesting character. Rajamouli chose her because the role needs an actress who can balance strength and vulnerability perfectly.
Mandakini is a thief, slightly grey in nature, and not fully good or bad. Priyanka had not acted in Indian cinema for six years, so she was initially hesitant. Rajamouli promised her that the film would be released only if every frame showed her best performance.
The movie also includes a high-energy song, similar in impact to “Naatu Naatu”. Both Mahesh Babu and Priyanka found the rehearsals very tough, but the song has already been completed and is said to be excellent.
Rehearsals, Shooting Style, and Challenges
This film had one full year of rehearsals. Important scenes were rehearsed, blocked, edited, and finalized even before shooting. This made actual shooting easier, though still very demanding.
Shooting happened in extreme locations like Masai Mara, among real wild animals. Sometimes, the team had to wait for elephants to move before delivering dialogues. Some shots took an entire day, and once, even 94 takes were not enough.
Phones were strictly not allowed on set. Security was so tight that even drones checked for phones.
Rajamouli follows classic filmmaking, focusing more on actor performance than camera tricks. He does not explain technical details like slow motion to actors. He only explains emotions.
Final Thoughts
“Varanasi” is not just Rajamouli’s most ambitious film—it is one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious projects ever. The scale is not measured by budget but by imagination.
With rooted Indian storytelling, global appeal, strong performances, and disciplined filmmaking, “Varanasi” is shaping up to be a historic cinematic experience.
This is not just a movie.
This is SS Rajamouli at his peak.
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