Aug 24, 2026 12:45pm IST
Akshaye Khanna Leads ‘Mahakali’ First Glimpse As Shukracharya, Film Sets January 2027 Release
“Mahakali,” the next film in Prasanth Varma’s Cinematic Universe, has unveiled its first glimpse, introducing Akshaye Khanna as Shukracharya and setting the Indian historical spectacle for a theatrical release on January 8, 2027.
Titled “Shukracharya’s War Cry,” the 2-minute-53-second glimpse establishes a conflict between Dharma and Adharma, with Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras, positioned at the centre of an impending war. The footage hints at a larger conflict extending beyond a conventional battle between good and evil, with the outcome potentially determining the fate of an entire world.
Akshaye Khanna is the primary focus of the glimpse, appearing as Shukracharya in a markedly different avatar. The actor is shown with an intense, imposing look as the Asura guru, offering the first extended look at his character after the release of his first-look material.
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Sriya Reddy also features in the glimpse, while the footage provides a broader look at the film’s visual world, including its elaborate production design, large-scale environments and visual effects. Bhoomi Shetty, Rohit Saraf and several other actors are also part of the film’s ensemble.
“Mahakali” is directed by Puja Aparna Kolluru and produced by Riwaz Ramesh Duggal under the RKD Studios banner. RK Duggal presents the film. Prasanth Varma, whose “Hanu-Man” established the foundation for his interconnected cinematic universe, is associated with the project as its creator.
The Akshaye Khanna film is positioned as the next instalment in the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe, following “Hanu-Man.” The new glimpse expands the mythology and scale of that universe, with “Mahakali” moving into a world built around divine and Asura forces and an impending war.
The glimpse concludes by setting up the larger conflict to come, with the makers using Shukracharya and the battle between Dharma and Adharma as the entry point into the film’s mythology.
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