New Delhi: An asteroid tearing through the sky, cities crumbling, timelines colliding from ancient yugas to a futuristic 2027 – SS Rajamouli’s next epic, Varanasi, just turned up the heat with a new poster and a fresh release date.
The filmmaker has unveiled a dramatic new glimpse of his big-screen spectacle headlined by Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, while also confirming that the film will now arrive in theatres in April 2027, setting the stage for one of the biggest event films of the year.
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli shares new poster of Varanasi
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli shared the new poster of Varanasi on social media on Friday, January 30, revealing a planet-threatening asteroid crashing towards Earth and leaving a trail of destruction. Along with the visual, he wrote, “April 7th, 2027… #VARANASI,” confirming the new release date. Lead stars Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra amplified the reveal by posting the same poster on their own social media handles.
Varanasi was earlier slated for a January 2027 theatrical release, but the team has decided to push it to April. The new date also helps the film avoid a box office clash with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, which is scheduled to hit cinemas in March 2027.
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The film boasts a powerful ensemble. Priyanka Chopra plays Mandakini, Mahesh Babu takes on the role of Rudhra, while Prithviraj Sukumaran will be seen as the antagonist Kumbha. The title Varanasi was officially announced last November at a grand GlobeTrotter event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, where the massive scale and ambition of the project were first showcased.
A special teaser screened at the event hinted at Rajamouli’s most expansive vision yet, featuring breathtaking visuals that spanned locations such as Antarctica, Varanasi, and Kenya, and timelines ranging from 512 CE to 2027 CE, as well as the mythological Treta Yuga. The footage teased a story that blends mythology, history and futuristic elements into one sprawling narrative.
One of the standout moments in the teaser showed Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra riding a bull and holding a trident as he charges through Varanasi, his shirt soaked in blood and a Nandi pendant around his neck. Varanasi will feature music by MM Keeravani, the Oscar-winning composer of Rajamouli’s RRR, and is produced by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business. Priyanka, sharing the new poster, summed up the mood around the film as she wrote, “So much love and excitement for this,” adding heart and evil-eye emojis to match the frenzy.