SS Rajamouli Confirms ‘Varanasi’ Features Time Travel, Antarctica and Ancient Rome; Film 80 Percent Complete

Director SS Rajamouli has opened up about “Varanasi,” starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The filmmaker has shared that the narrative of the film will span multiple continents and transport viewers back to the era of ancient Rome.

During an conversation with Tsounami, Rajamouli revealed that Varanasi charts an expansive journey that starts in the sacred city of Varanasi, moves through Antarctica and Africa, travels back to ancient Rome via a time-travel arc and ultimately circles back to where it began.

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He added, "We shot a video about what the audience will experience and what they can expect, without revealing anything about the story. It travels from Varanasi to Antarctica, even Africa, and into the past, to Rome, before finally returning to Varanasi.”

According to the filmmaker, the title glimpse was never intended to offer insight into the storyline. Instead, it served as a preview of the film's scale, visual ambition and overall cinematic experience, without giving away the narrative. He also revealed that nearly 80 percent of the film is done. “We’ve shot about 80 percent of the film; the other 20 percent is in progress. But we've finished the biggest action scenes. We still have the smaller scenes and everything in between,” he explained. The post production of the movie is also moving at a similar speed. The sequences are being edited immediately and readied for the correction of visual effects.

“Varanasi” is scheduled to release on April 7, 2027. The makers, including the lead actors had previously organised an event in Hyderabad, titled “Globetrotter,” to unveil the movie’s title and Mahesh Babu’s character. Moreover, on Priyanka's 44th birthday on July 18, the makers also dropped her fierce character look as Mandakini for her fans.