Oct 26, 2026 5:15pm IST
SS Rajamouli Reveals ‘Varanasi’ Is Driven by Father-Son Emotions and a Love Story Amid Time Travel
SS Rajamouli has offered a glimpse into the emotional core of “Varanasi”, describing his upcoming film as a time-travel adventure shaped by the relationship between a father and son and the love between a man and a woman. Starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film moves across different worlds, locations and time periods, with the filmmaker suggesting that its emotional stakes are as important as its scale.
Speaking to Brazilian YouTube channel ALMANAQUE21 on the sidelines of the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival, where he received the Leon Cakoff Career Award, Rajamouli explained why he has been reluctant to reveal the film’s story in detail.
Rather than trying to convey its scope through a conventional synopsis, he said, the team chose to offer audiences a visual glimpse of the experience awaiting them.
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Rajamouli described “Varanasi” as an adventure that travels through Antarctica, Africa and the city of Varanasi, while moving between different time zones and into mythological periods populated by gods and giants. He emphasised that the journey is held together by the emotional relationships at its centre, particularly the bond between a father and son and the romance between its lead characters.
The filmmaker’s comments offer a clearer sense of what audiences can expect from the film, which has been mounted on an expansive scale. Rajamouli’s previous work, including “Baahubali” and “RRR”, has combined spectacle with heightened emotional conflicts. With “Varanasi”, he appears to be bringing that approach to a story that incorporates time travel, action, adventure and elements drawn from Indian mythology.
Babu plays Rudhra, while Priyanka Chopra Jonas stars as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the antagonist, Kumbha. The film’s first glimpse also revealed Babu in the role of Lord Rama, with the narrative featuring a sequence inspired by the “Ramayana”, including the battle between Rama and Kumbhakarna. Rajamouli has previously indicated that the epic-inspired passage forms part of the larger story rather than defining the entire film.
“Varanasi” marks Rajamouli’s first feature since “RRR”, the 2022 Telugu-language blockbuster starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR that went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu”. The new film is co-written by Rajamouli’s father, V. Vijayendra Prasad, and S. S. Kanchi, and produced by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business.
“Varanasi” is scheduled to release in theatres on April 7, 2027.
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