At Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026, Karthikeya explained the team didn’t just build the ghats to fulfill Rajamouli’s idea, and this announcement immediately got people even more excited about the epic sci-fi adventure.
This wasn’t just a normal detail about making the movie. Karthikeya said that filming at the actual ghats wasn’t possible for the size of scenes they had planned, so they painstakingly recreated the sacred area along the river with an almost fanatical attention to detail.
How the ghats were recreated for the camera
Karthikeya emphasized how important it was to be accurate, calling Varanasi the spiritual center of India and one of the oldest cities in the world that people have lived in without stopping. He said the story starts, happens throughout and finishes in Varanasi, saying the location is the vital, central part of the movie, rather than just a pretty background.
The art department went to Varanasi and carefully collected everything they could: all the colours, sizes, and lots of photos. They gathered all this to make sure the ghats were built “brick by brick” and that Rajamouli’s vision would become reality.
Here are the core steps the producer highlighted:
– Production design team surveyed Varanasi on-ground
– Collected dyes, measurements, picture references
– Recreated ghats brick by brick on set
Global showcases are fuelling the hype
We had a first look at the film earlier at the Trailer Festival at Le Grand Rex, which is the biggest and most famous cinema screen in Europe. People reacted immediately and with a lot of noise – there was clapping, shouting, and whistling from the very first picture!
The presentation at Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026 continued that excitement with a new audience. By talking about the work that went into building the sets, the focus moved away from the actors and onto how large and carefully made the movie is, which is a clever thing to do for a film that is hoping to completely absorb you.
Characters, genre blend, and what fans are talking about
The first images have already spread all over social media. Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini looks very powerful, Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha appears to be very serious and intense, and Mahesh Babu as Rudhra has a strong, prepared-for-battle look. Seeing these three has caused a huge amount of activity online.
But it’s not just the actors. The story is about time travel, and mixes Indian mythology, history and science fiction. It’s a big, fantasy, science fiction, action adventure movie in Telugu, and it’s meant to be seen on a big screen and be very loud in the cinema.
The team bhind the spectacle
S. S. Rajamouli directed the movie, and V. Vijayendra Prasad wrote it. Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business are making it. This is also Priyanka Chopra’s first film in the Telugu language, and she’s a big name adding to the already famous cast.
Release timeline and what to expect next
The movie is listed for release in April 2027, but another listing says it will be in cinemas on Ram Navami in 2027. Either way, it’s planned to come out in the early summer, around a festival.
What happens next? We’ll probably see more of the film, given how people have responded. Because so many people are eagerly awaiting it, anything new – a picture or even a short clip – will likely be a popular topic of conversation, and especially now that the team has highlighted how much effort they’ve put into making the sets.
More importantly, by rebuilding the ghats, the filmmakers will have complete control over the crowds, the lights and the dance routines that the real location wouldn’t allow. This also suggests the film will have a lot of big scenes that need a lot of precise work, and won’t have to be changed or simplified.
For the fans, the message is easy and exciting: this isn’t just a quick look at the city. It’s a huge, carefully made world, constructed to allow for ‘amazing scenes’ in a way that only a set built for the purpose can. And if the first showings are anything to go by, Varanasi is on track to be a spectacular experience in the cinema.
