Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Masai Mara, Kilimanjaro gave Varanasi visuals beyond IMAX frame: Rajamouli
A famous Indian movie director named SS Rajamouli is making a new adventure movie called Varanasi.
He went to Africa to film parts of it, in a place called the Masai Mara and near a big mountain called Mount Kilimanjaro.
He said the wild land there was so beautiful that even the biggest movie camera in the world could not capture all of it.
The movie's main actor is Mahesh Babu, who just celebrated his 51st birthday.
To celebrate, the director shared two brand-new pictures of him from the Africa trip.
In the pictures, Mahesh Babu has a beard and looks like a brave adventurer.
He plays a character named Rudhra who travels across the world and through time.
Rudhra is on a mission to find an ancient object that could destroy the world if it falls into the wrong hands.
The movie also stars Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Varanasi is planned to come out in theaters in April 2027.
SS Rajamouli shared two new images of Mahesh Babu from the Africa schedule of his film Varanasi on the actor's 51st birthday.
Rajamouli said shooting in the Masai Mara and around Mount Kilimanjaro provided visuals that even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame could not contain.
The images show Babu as Rudhra in a rugged, bearded avatar, including a shot amid African wilderness with zebras and giraffes.
Varanasi is a time-travelling adventure linked to the Ramayana, in which Rudhra travels across the world and through time to retrieve a world-threatening artefact.
The film also stars Priyanka Chopra, features Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist, has music by MM Keeravani, and is scheduled for an April 2027 release.
- Who
- Filmmaker SS Rajamouli, lead actor Mahesh Babu, and actors Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
- What
- Rajamouli praised the Africa schedule shoot of his upcoming film Varanasi and released two new images of Mahesh Babu as his character Rudhra.
- When
- On Sunday, which was Mahesh Babu's 51st birthday.
- Where
- Masai Mara and the areas around Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
- Why
- Rajamouli said the natural African landscape gave the film a visual dimension that could not have been recreated on a set.
- Film
- Varanasi
- Director
- SS Rajamouli
- Lead actor
- Mahesh Babu (as Rudhra)
- Other cast
- Priyanka Chopra; Prithviraj Sukumaran as antagonist
- Music composer
- MM Keeravani
- Genre
- Time-travelling adventure linked to the Ramayana
- Release date
- April 2027
- Production status
- Final phase; Africa schedule completed