Varanasi unveils Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra in Africa: SS Rajamouli says ‘very few can play fierce and fragile’
New Delhi: Mahesh Babu’s birthday brought a new glimpse of his much-awaited collaboration with SS Rajamouli. Team Varanasi unveiled two exclusive stills from the film’s Africa schedule, offering the first look at Mahesh’s character Rudhra and the vast world surrounding him. The actor turned 50 on August 9.
One of the images shows Rudhra resting on a bamboo raft amid dense jungle, while the other places him in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, surrounded by giraffes and wildebeest. Together, the frames hint at the scale of the epic and Rudhra’s journey across dramatically different landscapes.
SS Rajamouli on Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra
The new stills also offer an early sense of the character Rajamouli has created for Mahesh Babu. Describing Rudhra, the filmmaker said he was “born to fulfil a purpose much larger than himself” and carries a destiny he never asked for.
Rajamouli also highlighted the contrasting qualities he wanted from the character, calling him “witty,” “vulnerable” and “fierce.” According to the director, Mahesh brought that combination to Rudhra.
“Anyone can play fierce. Very few can play fierce and fragile in the same breath,” Rajamouli said.
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The director also spoke about filming in Africa and the impact of shooting against its natural landscapes. The Africa schedule included locations around Mount Kilimanjaro and the Maasai Mara, where the scale of the surroundings became part of the visual language of the film.
Rajamouli said the land “gave us something no set could”, adding that there were mornings when he felt even the “1.43:1 IMAX frame could not hold what was in front of us.”
What to expect from Varanasi
Directed by SS Rajamouli, Varanasi is being mounted as a globe-spanning epic that takes Rudhra from the sacred waters of India to the wilderness of Africa. The newly released images offer only a glimpse of that expansive journey while keeping the larger story under wraps.
The film features music by MM Keeravani and is produced by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business.
Varanasi is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in IMAX on April 7, 2027.