We should finish shooting by October: Filmmaker SS Rajamouli shares update on 'Varanasi'
Annecy, June 26
Director SS Rajamouli has revealed that the shooting of his upcoming magnum opus movie 'Varanasi' would be completed by October this year, reported Variety.
Following his appearance at the Annecy Animation Festival for the unveiling of the first glimpse of 'Varanasi', the filmmaker spoke about the progress of the film, saying that the major portions of the movie's filming have been completed.
"What I can say is we have completed a major portion of the shoot, all the important big spectacle action sequences are done. We are [now] into doing the smaller, interconnecting scenes so hopefully, by September, maybe a little bit into October, we should be finishing shooting," Rajamouli said, according to Variety.
Discussing whether shooting the film on the IMAX format had influenced the way he had approached the film creatively, Rajamouli said that it's quite the opposite.
"From the beginning, we knew the sequences that were conceived would be best justified in [the] Imax format - we didn't change anything just for the format," he says, noting that any adjustments made were minor, according to Variety.
"Because our eyes have been trained to shoot in the CinemaScope format, which obviously I love, [we were] just thinking about, we need to frame this [to] look good both in Imax as well as CinemaScope, the anamorphic framing, so that took a little bit of adjustment for the first few initial days. Then we understood how to do it," added Rajamouli.
Headlined by Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, 'Varanasi' has already generated immense buzz among fans and industry watchers alike.
Last year, SS Rajamouli announced the title of the film and introduced the character of Mahesh Babu, who was seen riding an ox while holding a trishul in his hands.
The movie is set to hit theatres on April 7, 2027.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to hear the big action sequences are done. But I wonder if shooting till October means post-production might be rushed for an April 2027 release? I hope they take their time - Rajamouli's films need that meticulous VFX work. Quality over speed, please! 🎬
IMAX format for a pan-Indian film? That's huge, yaar! Rajamouli adapting to both CinemaScope and IMAX shows his genius. And Priyanka Chopra in a Telugu film again after so long? This is going to be a visual spectacle. Mere ko booking karni hai already! 😍
As someone who follows Indian cinema from abroad, it's fascinating to see Rajamouli's process. The fact that he's thinking about IMAX from the script stage rather than adapting later is a smart move. Looking forward to how this scales up from RRR.
Honestly, I hope the film doesn't rely too much on spectacle. RRR had heart along with the action. Varanasi's spiritual theme could be amazing if they focus on the story too. Mahesh Babu is a solid choice - his intensity will match the setting. Fingers crossed! 🙏
Prithviraj Sukumaran in a pan-Indian film directed by Rajamouli? Yes, please! And Varanasi as a setting - the ghats, the spirituality, the chaos. If anyone can capture that on IMAX, it's Rajamouli. October finish means the editing team better be well-rested! 📽️