In a dramatic turn of events at the grand Globe Trotter event in Hyderabad, the long-awaited first glimpse of Varanasi—SS Rajamouli’s upcoming epic featuring Mahesh Babu—failed to play on the giant screen, forcing the filmmaker to address the audience with an apology. The event, held at Ramoji Film City, had drawn thousands of fans anticipating a monumental reveal, but Rajamouli revealed that an unexpected leak attempt disrupted their plans.
Rajamouli reveals how drone leak derailed last-minute testing
Taking the mic after the first failed attempt at playing the teaser, SS Rajamouli explained the situation candidly. He told the crowd, “Yesterday night we did not test the glimpse on this screen because a drone was flying here trying to leak our one-year-long hard work. We took a chance and now the power is not sufficient to play the glimpse. It might take ten more minutes.”
He went on to share the scale of the operation behind the screening:“It took us 45 generators to power the screen. We were supposed to test our video last night, we worked till after midnight till 2 AM. We don't know where people came from. They started flying drones and shooting the footage, leaking it. That is a year of hard work of many people, thousands of man power and crores of rupees.”
Rajamouli said the team decided to skip the final test because fans had travelled long distances. “People came here from so far, we wanted this to be perfect,” he added.
What the announcement video reveals about Varanasi
The teaser, leaked online even before the official drop, offered a visually ambitious glimpse at Rajamouli’s next universe. The video shows an asteroid crashing into Earth with fragments landing across multiple continents—from Varanasi to Antarctica and Africa. The narrative appears to span several eras and carries thematic echoes of the Ramayana.
In one of the most striking visuals, Mahesh Babu appears blood-soaked, riding a bull while holding a trisulam. The character is identified as Rudhra, surrounded by temple silhouettes and an atmosphere of cosmic devastation.
Star-studded cast and release timeline
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s look as Kumbha and Priyanka Chopra’s portrayal of Mandakini have already generated massive buzz on social media. Both character teasers were unveiled days ahead of the event, further fuelling anticipation.Varanasi is set for a Sankranti 2027 theatrical release, marking one of the most ambitious projects in Rajamouli’s career.