Aug 23, 2026 3:14pm IST
‘Varanasi’: SS Rajamouli Shuns AI, Plans To Audition 1,500 Artistes To Dub The Movie In 50 Languages
SS Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’ is one of the tentpole films coming out of the Indian film industry. The filmmaker is ensuring that the film starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran makes a mark on the global stage. MiD Day has learnt that Rajamouli has undertaken an expansive operation to localise the film. “Varanasi” will be dubbed in 50 languages and released across 120 countries. The team will use real voice actors rather than rely on AI-generated or synthetic voices.
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The tabloid further learnt that the filmmaker wanted real voices to convey the emotion, personality and intent of the movie’s characters. He did not want the performance to get diluted when the film moves from one language to another. The publication quoted, “For him, dubbing is not just about translating the dialogue and matching the lip movements. Rajamouli wants the audience in every market to experience the performance, not just know the dialogue.”
The first glimpse of “Varanasi” left audiences in awe with the vast views of the African wilderness. Rajamouli dismissed all suggestions that AI was used to make that promotional asset. He said it was a “huge insult to their artistic genius.” Keeping with his intent of showcasing the film at its best, Rajamouli has plans to bring in real artists in different languages. The team will sample 1,500 artists before choosing voices for the final cut.
The movie will be released in 120 countries, which is the highest for any Indian film. So far, only Shah Rukh Khan’s 2023 actioner “Pathaan” was released in 100 nations.
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