Filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer Varanasi is one of the most-awaited films from Tollywood. When the filmmakers unveiled the first glimpse of the film at a grand event in Hyderabad last year, fans decoded every frame and realised there’s a connection to theRamayana. At a fan interaction, Rajamouli’s father, writer Vijayendra Prasad, teased a 30-minute scene from the film.
Vijayendra Prasad reveals war scene between Rama and Kumbhakarna
At an open house hosted by Filmy Focus, Prasad spoke about Varanasi. When asked if the 30-minute scene from the film that he had teased would shake India at the film’s event was mythological, political, or spiritual, he replied, “It’s a war between Rama and Kumbhakarna.” Fans are now speculating if Prithviraj plays Kumbhakarna.
He also added, “You saw in the trailer, right? You saw Rama and Kumbhakarna. You saw Lord Hanuman’s tail and a chariot on it. I’m talking about that…spellbound. However, the writer clammed up before he could reveal much. When asked if the film has the concept of time zones and whose idea it was to include them, he said, “We shouldn’t talk about it anymore.”
When SS Rajamouli revealed Mahesh Babu as Rama
At the event held last year, Rajamouli confirmed that Mahesh will be seen as Lord Rama for a portion of Varanasi. “On the first day, when Mahesh came in Lord Rama’s get-up for the photoshoot, I had goosebumps. I was torn. Mahesh has the charm of Krishna, but the calmness of Rama. Still, I was confident. I even set that photo as my wallpaper and then removed it so that no one would see it,” he said.
The filmmaker further spoke about shooting the sequence, saying, “We shot this sequence for 60 days, and we completed it recently. Every single day was a challenge. Every episode and sub-episode felt like a film in itself; everything had to be reimagined and planned from scratch. After crossing all those hurdles, we finally wrapped the sequence. I believe it will be one of the most memorable sequences in my films and in Mahesh’s films as well.”
The teaser had hinted at the film’s connection to the Ramayana, and many fans speculated that it involves time travel. Directed by SS Rajamouli, the film stars Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, Priyanka Chopra as Mandakini, and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist, Kumbha. The film is currently in production and is scheduled for a Sankranti 2027 theatrical release.