Varanasi sets a release date for SS Rajamouli’s mysterious new movie

RRR took the world by storm with its epic story of friendship told against the backdrop of Indian independence, becoming a global phenomenon and even winning an Oscar for best original song. Director S.S. Rajamouli is aiming even bigger with his follow-up film, Varanasi, which spans thousands of years, depicting everything from Hindu mythology to futuristic warfare in a globetrotting adventure. Last November, Rajamouli revealed the title of his film (named after the holy Indian city and the banks of the Ganges river) and released a three-minute-long teaser. Now, we have a release date.

Varanasi will release worldwide on April 7, 2027.

While the plot details of Varanasi remain top-secret, Rajamouli has confirmed that a section of the film is directly inspired by the Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic that recounts the life of Prince Rama, said to be the incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Parts of the film will also take place in the not-too-distant future, when an asteroid threatens to destroy the Earth.

Image: Sri Durga Arts

The cast includes Mahesh Babu in the starring role as both Rama himself and a warrior named Rudhra. Priyanka Chopra also returns to Indian cinema for her role as Mandakini. (We don’t know much about the character, but she wields a gun in her poster.) Finally, Prithviraj Sukumaran plays Kumbha, a villain who rides in a wheelchair equipped with Doctor Octopus-like mechanical limbs.

There’s still so much we don’t know about Varanasi, but with the release date official, fans of Rajamouli’s films can mark their calendars for April 7, 2027. That’s only 14 months away!