One of the biggest filmmakers in the South Indian cinema industry, S.S. Rajamouli, is presenting his films in theaters after a long break. His movie 'Varanasi' will be released in the coming months and features actors such as Mahesh Babu, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Priyanka Chopra. This project is the most ambitious for Rajamouli, and it was filmed in various parts of the world. The film is being prepared for release in IMAX format.
The anticipation for 'Varanasi' stems from its inclusion of time travel elements and parts of the Ramayana. The character Mahesh Babu, Rudra, travels to the past to investigate a mystery. The film's production has a budget exceeding 100 billion rupees, making it one of the second-largest pictures in India.
Rajamouli spent the last year shooting his film, and he recently announced that filming has finally wrapped up. According to him, 'Varanasi' is five to six times larger than his blockbuster 'RRR'. Notably, despite its massive scale, the filming took fewer days than 'RRR'.
During a film festival in Brazil, Rajamouli stated that completing the shoot for 'RRR' took about 315 days, whereas 'Varanasi' was finished in approximately 275 days. He explained this by saying he had prepared much more documentation for 'Varanasi' in advance. He emphasized that although 'Varanasi' is bigger, it was shot faster, which allowed for a saving of 40 days.
The director noted that the experience gained from creating 'RRR' helped him with 'Varanasi'. Thanks to more meticulous planning this time, the shooting time was reduced. He also stated that 'Varanasi' is not just an ordinary action-adventure film; its plot spans numerous different locations and sequences.
Rajamouli revealed that every major scene in the film resembles a separate picture on its own. He listed locations such as Antarctica, Africa, Varanasi, a mystical journey through time into a mythological world, the caves of Ugrabhathi, and the climax. The main challenge was fitting these 6-7 elements, each resembling a standalone film, into one cohesive picture.
As for Varanasi, it is being created on a grand scale, with extensive use of visual effects (VFX) and preparation for IMAX release. The global theatrical release of the film is scheduled for April 7, 2027.