SS Rajamouli is really going all out with Varanasi and the latest news has fans even more excited. S. S. Karthikeya, the producer, has said that the film has a 20 minute Ramayana section – a big, bold decision that shows just how massive and how much for a general audience the movie with Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas will be.
A 20-minute Ramayana at the heart
At Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026, Karthikeya was very direct: ‘Varanasi has 20 minutes of Ramayana in it.’ For a movie of this kind, that’s a very clear statement of what the film is about. It links the film to the most famous stories in India, and promises a spectacular movie experience.
He talked about similarities in culture. Mexican popular culture frequently uses the histories of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, and Indian movies do the same with the Ramayana and Mahabharat. He thinks this common focus on origins will help people around the world to relate to the film.
He also said that family values aren’t just a detail in Varanasi, they are essential to the story. Just that detail suggests that there are strong emotions under the action, and that’s something Rajamouli is known for – it works for audiences no matter what language they speak or where they are.
Here are the key takeaways from the producer’s remarks:
– The film embeds a 20-minute Ramayana sequence
– Cultural parallels with Mexico are central to outreach
– Family values drive the story’s core
– Expect emotion and scale in equal measure
The global pitch: from Mexico to Europe
Varanasi is already being shown internationally. At Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026, it was shown alongside a very enthusiastic response at the Trailer Festival at Le Grand Rex, the biggest and most famous cinema in Europe.
People at that festival were loudly applauding, cheering and whistling from the very first scene, and throughout. That kind of immediate response from the audience, before there has been much advertising, is exactly what the filmmakers want.
Karthikeya also said how welcoming people in Mexico were, even the level of spice in the food reminded him of home! While that’s just a story, it does show what the team believes: that people being familiar with a culture can help a blockbuster movie reach a lot of people.
First-look reveals and fan chatter
So far, the reveals of the characters in Varanasi on social media have done what they’re meant to. First came Mahesh Babu as the strong Rudhra, then Prithviraj Sukumaran as the intense Kumbha, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the impressive Mandakini.
Each look led to a lot of fan guesses and changes to pictures of the characters. The reaction wasn’t just mild interest, it was a complete craze, which is what happens when people start to get a sense of the world Rajamouli is creating.
Visual scale and mythic blend
The filmmakers say Varanasi is an epic action-adventure, and a visual and cultural spectacle. They’ve made it very clear they want to combine Indian mythology with a grand, impressive movie style and have the skill of filmmaking do the heavy lifting. Now the Ramayana section doesn’t feel like a quick appearance, but like the core of the film.
This creative approach also tells us the feel of the movie. It won’t be like a history lesson. It will be filmmaking on a huge scale, and will use great stories as a way to build feelings, raise the stakes, and make it all bigger.
Release timeline and expectations
Because so much excitement is building, the film is being made to be released in a big way in theaters on April 7th, 2027. That date gives the team time to make the special effects perfect and to plan a huge launch, while fans continue to examine every image they’ve seen.
For Mahesh Babu, playing Rudhra could be the most important, memorable role of his career. For Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, their roles are likely to get a lot of attention in all countries. And for Rajamouli, Varanasi seems to be another step forward in his ever-increasing ambitions.
What will happen now is simple. We’ll get to see more of the film, fans will talk a lot about the mythology involved, and the idea of bringing different cultures together will continue to be promoted. And if the early reactions are anything to go by, audiences are ready for the journey this film wants to take them on.
