SS Rajamouli’s epic Varanasi will be shot entirely on IMAX, making it the first non-English film to do so and only the second after Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Set across millennia and locations from Varanasi to Antarctica, the asteroid-centered saga stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. About 80% is complete, aiming for a three-hour 2027 release.
In a recent interview with European magazine Tsounami, SS Rajamouli revealed some exciting new details about his upcoming magnum opus Varanasi. Among the biggest reveals was that the film is being shot entirely on IMAX, making it the second film ever to do so after Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
The film is set across thousands of years and multiple locations, including Antarctica, with the plot centering on the city of Varanasi facing an asteroid. It stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini, Mahesh Babu as Rudhra and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist Kumbha.
Rajamouli revealed to Tsounami that Varanasi is the first non-English to be shot entirely on IMAX. All large-scale IMAX action sequences have been filmed, with only the smaller ones remaining, he said.
He also shared that the team has completed around 80 per cent of the film. The remaining portions are currently being shot in Hyderabad. "We've finished the biggest action scenes. We still have the smaller scenes and everything in between,” he said.
Speaking on the state of post-production and filming, Rajamouli revealed that "every completed sequence is immediately edited and sent to the visual effects team, allowing different departments to work in parallel and keep the production on schedule."
The filmmaker also explained to the publication why the film's teaser revealed so less about the story. He said, "I didn't want to reveal too much because it wouldn't do justice to the film. Instead, we made a video showing the kind of experience audiences can expect, without revealing the story."
In July, Rajamouli confirmed Varanasi will release as a single film with a runtime of approximately three hours, setting aside earlier speculation about a two-part format. Varanasi is set to release worldwide on April 7, 2027.