Indian filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli, who helmed the 2022 global blockbuster RRR, has officially announced today that his eagerly awaited next film Varanasi will launch in theaters on April 7, 2027.
While plot details remain heavily under wraps, the synopsis reads, "The epic story of VARANASI takes place over thousands of years and in locations around the world from Antarctica to Africa to the titular city in India." In terms of scale, the film is being said to be “in the vein of Indiana Jones and James Bond,” and is shaping up to be one of the largest, and most ambitious films India has ever released and one of 2027’s biggest international releases.
The globetrotting adventure film stars Mahesh Babu (1: Nenokkadine; Athadu), Priyanka Chopra (Don: The Chase Begins Again; Quantico) and Prithviraj Sukumaran (Lucifer; Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire) in the lead roles.
Mahesh Babu will appear in a dual role, playing both a fierce character named Rudhra and the legendary Lord Rama. Meanwhile, Chopra is playing the mysterious Mandakani, and Sukumaran is playing the villain, a scientist named Kumbha.
Following a roaring release, RRR became a global sensation over the course of 2022, culminating in an Oscar win for Best Original Song. While many clamored for a sequel, Rajamouli said that he had no intentions of making a direct follow-up for the blockbuster nor had any intention to turn it into a franchise, instead shifting his focus to telling a new original story with Varanasi.
Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani, who we spoke to ahead of his aforementioned Oscar win in 2023, is also returning to score the new film.
Varanasi hits theaters on April 7, 2027!
Check out the first look teaser and poster below:
The epic story of VARANASI takes place over thousands of years and in locations around the world from Antarctica to Africa to the titular city in India. This action-adventure film is the follow-up to Rajamouli’s last feature, RRR, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the acclaimed track “Naatu Naatu.” The composer of that song, MM Keeravani, is returning to work on VARANASI as well.