Six Months Of Training, Two Shots: Mahesh Babu Reveals SS Rajamouli Made Him Unlearn His Signature Sprint For Varanasi

Hyderabad: Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli's collaboration was long overdue. The Telugu superstar with a massive fanbase is finally joining hands with the filmmaker who has been pushing cinematic boundaries with his vision. The two biggies from the Telugu film industry have come together for Varanasi aiming to take Indian cinema to the world. The film, touted as #GlobeTrotter, brings Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra Jonas back home after nearly seven years. Joining the lead pair is Malayalam cinema’s multi-hyphenate Prithviraj Sukumaran as the "dangerous" antagonist, Kumbha.

For the film, which will be hitting the screens in 2027, the makers commenced a promotional spree beginning with a grand event here in Ramoji Film City last November, where the film's title and a 3-minute glimpse were unveiled in the presence of 50K-plus fans and international media. The interviews of the Varanasi lead trio and Rajamouli, which were shot then, are out now and creating waves online.

From Rajamouli's "audacious imagination" to the team relentlessly going for a 94th shot, hoping to crack the perfect moment that the director envisioned, to Priyanka inviting trouble for her and Mahesh Babu with requesting a dance number, the Varanasi team has spilled interesting details without divulging more than intended from their journey of making the film, which has been in production for over a year now.

Barring his initial outings, Rajamouli is known for exceeding production timelines. The actors who agree to be in his film have to be game for an intense prep and dedicate years to a film. For Mahesh Babu too, the process was no different.

Talking about how Varanasi brought him and Rajamouli together, Mahesh Babu, in an interview, said, "We were supposed to work, like, for the past fifteen years. And after he (Rajamouli) finished RRR, he took a year off. He wasn't discussing anything with me. So I was wondering what was happening. And then, after a year, he calls me to the office, and he narrates the script, Varanasi, to me. And it just blew my mind away."

Mahesh Babu, who plays Lord Ram in the film, underwent intense preparation, which began in January 2024 in Germany. Talking about getting into the physicality of the part, he said, "When you're playing that character, it's very important that you get the posture right. The way your character walks, the way he stands. And so he (Rajamouli) wanted to nail that." Learning Kalaripayattu, often called the "mother of all martial arts," was also part of Mahesh's prep.

Most films of Mahesh Babu will have a running sequence. The high-speed shots of the actor running would have theaters erupting in hoots, screams, and whistling. Fans would wait for that moment in a Mahesh Babu film. Interestingly, Rajamouli too will have a whistle-worthy moment in his film. But it will be unlike anything the Mahesh Babu fans have seen before.

The 50-year-old superstar revealed that he had to unlearn his most in-demand method of running in cinemas because Rajamouli did not want it. "He wanted to change my running technique. So I trained with the track and field team for six months. And there would be only two shots in the film, by the way." The anecdote left everyone in splits.

The actor also declared that he was "nervous initially" because the scale was "very intimidating" for him. Varanasi, according to him, is "unlike anything SSR attempted before." Mahesh also credited the filmmaker for taking him through a "beautiful process" that helped him erase initial anxiety.

Bankrolled by K.L. Narayana's Sri Durga Arts and S.S. Karthikeya's Showing Business, Varanasi will hit theaters worldwide on April 7, 2027.

Read More

1. Mahesh Babu Fulfils His Father's Last Wish Through Varanasi As Rajamouli Recalls Goosebump Ramayana Sequence
2. Priyanka Chopra Stuns In First Look From SS Rajamouli's Globe Trotter; Nick Jonas Reacts As She Marks 'New Era With Return To Indian Films'
3. 'You Must Be In Tears Right Now': Rajamouli Pens Emotional Note To Prabhas During Actor's Japan Visit