Even IMAX Couldn’t Hold It: Rajamouli Says Masai Mara Gave ‘Varanasi’ Visuals Beyond the Frame
SS Rajamouli has revealed that the Africa schedule of his upcoming film ‘Varanasi’ produced visuals so grand that even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame struggled to contain them. Here’s everything about Mahesh Babu’s new look and the film.
Excitement around SS Rajamouli’s upcoming pan-India epic ‘Varanasi’ continues to build. On Mahesh Babu’s birthday, the makers unveiled new stills from the film showing the actor’s rugged, wild look. Alongside the reveal, director Rajamouli shared a striking observation about the film’s Africa shooting schedule, one that has quickly become a major talking point online.
What Did Rajamouli Say?
In his Instagram post, Rajamouli revealed that the newly released frames are from the film’s Africa schedule, shot around Mount Kilimanjaro and the Masai Mara. According to the director, the landscape offered something no film set could ever recreate. He said there were mornings when he felt that even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame could not hold what was in front of the crew — a comment that speaks to the sheer scale of the visuals captured on location.
The remark carries extra weight given that Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ has recently been making headlines for its own large-format IMAX presentation. Rajamouli, however, did not explicitly confirm that ‘Varanasi’ was shot entirely on IMAX cameras — his comment was more about how the natural scale of the African landscape pushed even that expansive frame to its limits. This isn’t the first time an Indian production has chased that kind of scale; Hollywood’s biggest tentpoles regularly rewrite box-office history on the back of similar large-format ambitions.
Mahesh Babu’s Look as Rudhra
In the birthday-special stills, Mahesh Babu’s character Rudhra is seen amid the African wilderness, with zebras and giraffes visible in the background. In another image, the actor is seen relaxing on a bamboo raft. Speaking about the character, Rajamouli said Rudhra was born to fulfil a purpose much larger than himself, carrying a destiny he never asked for. He described the character as witty, vulnerable and fierce all at once, adding that while many actors can play fierce, very few can play fierce and fragile in the same breath — and that’s exactly what Mahesh Babu brought to the role.
Interestingly, ‘Varanasi’ isn’t the only Indian mythological epic generating buzz right now — Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’, starring Ranbir Kapoor, has also been in the headlines over its casting and dialogue choices, showing just how much appetite Indian audiences currently have for grand, mythology-rooted storytelling.
About the Film
‘Varanasi’, earlier known by its working title SSMB29, is a pan-India action-adventure film starring Mahesh Babu alongside Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Chopra plays a character named Mandakini, while Prithviraj takes on the antagonist role of Kumbha. The story spans several timelines, with locations ranging from Antarctica to Africa and the city of Varanasi itself. The film is reported to carry a massive budget of around ₹1,400 crore, placing it among the most expensive Indian productions ever made. It is slated for release on 7 April 2027.
Following the global success of Rajamouli’s previous film ‘RRR’, expectations for ‘Varanasi’ are running high, and these new visuals from the Africa schedule offer just a glimpse of the scale fans can expect. For more updates on the film and other big entertainment stories, keep following Jantantra TV.
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