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SS Rajamouli says Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi is 5-6 times bigger than RRR and reveals the film was completed in 275 shooting days.
SS Rajamouli says Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi is bigger than RRR.
SS Rajamouli has offered a major update on Varanasi, revealing that the upcoming Mahesh Babu-starrer is considerably larger in scale than RRR. The filmmaker said the action-adventure drama is around five to six times bigger than his previous blockbuster in almost every aspect.
Rajamouli spoke about the project during his appearance at the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil. While discussing the making of Varanasi, he also revealed that despite the film being mounted on a much bigger canvas, the team managed to complete its shoot in fewer days than RRR.
The film, headlined by Mahesh Babu, is currently slated for a theatrical release on April 7, 2027.
Rajamouli Says Varanasi Is Bigger Than RRR In Every Aspect
According to Rajamouli, Varanasi demanded significantly more preparation before the cameras rolled. He said the additional paperwork and planning helped the team reduce the number of shooting days even though the film itself was much larger.
“We are told the stories of our mythology, history and heroes right from our childhood. I did a lot more paperwork on Varanasi, going into filming even more prepared. We shot RRR in 315 days and Varanasi, despite being bigger, in 275 days, saving 40 days,” Rajamouli said.
The director described Varanasi as being approximately five to six times bigger than RRR in terms of scale.
His comments also shed light on the amount of preparation that went into the project before production began, allowing the team to work within a shorter shooting schedule despite its larger scope.
What Varanasi Is About
Varanasi unfolds around a global crisis linked to a massive asteroid called Shambhavi, which threatens the city of Varanasi.
Mahesh Babu plays Rudhra, a rugged archaeologist and explorer who is brought into a dangerous mission involving an ancient cosmic artefact. The task requires him to recover the object before a larger catastrophe can unfold.
He is joined by Mandakini, a historian who is also a skilled marksman.
The story takes the characters across several parts of the world, including the jungles of Africa, the frozen landscapes of Antarctica and different locations in Europe.
Their mission is complicated further by Kumbha, a technologically advanced antagonist who pursues them as they attempt to uncover the connection between the present-day crisis and Varanasi’s mythical past.
The solution to preventing the future disaster is said to lie within that past, placing mythology at the centre of the film’s adventure narrative.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas And Prithviraj Sukumaran Join Mahesh Babu
Apart from Mahesh Babu in the lead role, Varanasi also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the female lead.
Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the principal antagonist, Kumbha.
The film has been mounted with extensive visual effects and multiple shooting schedules. Production was initially expected to conclude by October 2026, while Mahesh Babu has reportedly already completed his portions.
Rajamouli has also spoken about Mahesh Babu’s performance in the film during a recent interaction at a university in the United States, where he expressed his admiration for the actor’s work in Varanasi.
Makers Share Prithviraj Sukumaran BTS Pictures
The makers recently marked Prithviraj Sukumaran’s 44th birthday by releasing behind-the-scenes photographs from the sets of Varanasi.
The pictures offered another glimpse at the production while keeping details about his character and the film’s action sequences under wraps.
With Mahesh Babu leading the film and Rajamouli describing the project as several times bigger than RRR, Varanasi is scheduled to arrive in theatres on April 7, 2027.
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Ask News18SS Rajamouli stated that his upcoming action-adventure drama Varanasi is approximately five to six times bigger in scale than RRR and is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on April 7, 2027.
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Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he\’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always…Read More
October 24, 2026, 21:15 IST