VARANASI Movie SHOOT WILL WRAP ON OCTOBER 2026

VARANASI MOVIE UPDATE

The Ramayana Segment  

Rajamouli confirmed a 20-30 min episode inside the film: Rama vs Kumbhakarna.  

Mahesh Babu plays Lord Rama in that portion – his second role

Prithviraj as Kumbhakarna/Kumbha – connects past and present timelines

Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini – name suggests a celestial river link, likely tied to the time-travel element

Producer Karthikeya said this segment is designed to “connect with Latin American audiences” too, hinting at universal myth themes.

Shooting Details & Sets

Varanasi ghats: Can’t shoot crowd-heavy scenes in real Varanasi. Team recreated ghats brick-by-brick in Hyderabad on massive sets

Ugrabhatti Caves: Blue-screen heavy sequence with rock pillars. Mata Chinnamasta Devi features here – ties to tantra/shakti themes

Katedan song: Mahesh shot a huge song set. Rajamouli said it’s “important to the storyline”, not just a dance break

Priyanka’s dance number: Choreography is “intricate” per reports. She’s back to Indian films after years

Antarctica schedule: Planned on Ross Ice Shelf – time-travel likely goes to Ice Age or future frozen Earth

Water tankers issue: HMWSSB denied 150 tankers for underwater scenes in Hyderabad. Team may move that portion to Varanasi/Prayagraj rivers

Technical Scale

Conceived for IMAX: Rajamouli told Variety – “Sequences were imagined for IMAX from day one”

CinemaScope + IMAX: Dual format release

Budget: ₹1000+ cr. Producer Suniel Narang confirmed it’s India’s costliest film currently

Runtime: ∼3 hours, single film. Rajamouli shut down 2-part rumors . 

Production Timeline

Started: Aug 2024 in Hyderabad

Jan 2025: Odisha schedule – Koraput, Deomali Hills, Talamali Hills

April 2025: Hyderabad ghat sets

June 2026: IMAX action blocks done. Now on “connecting scenes”

Wrap target: Sept-Oct 2026

Release: April 7, 2027

What Rajamouli Said Recently 

“We have completed a major portion… all the important big spectacle action sequences are done. We are now into doing the smaller, interconnecting scenes