SS Rajamouli’s 'Varanasi' Teaser Screened In Paris 

In what appears to be another push to make Varanasi a truly global release, the SS Rajamouli film, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, got a teaser launch in Paris recently. The teaser was launched at the Le Grand Rex Theatre in Paris as part of the Festival de la Bande-Annonce on January 5. Late last month saw a massive launch of the film’s title, which also featured a short clip introducing viewers to the timeless world of the film. This event took place in Hyderabad. The Paris screening further amps up expectations of the film.

SS Rajamouli’s previous film, RRR, had become a global phenomenon during the pandemic, with the film going on to attract a new audience when it dropped on Netflix. This further led to a set of special screenings of the film internationally, including in the United States and in Japan.

The visual glimpse of Varanasi, which was released on a grand scale in Hyderabad last year, features fantastical glimpses of various places and spaces, such as Antarctica, Varanasi, and Kenya, across time periods, including 512 CE, 2027 CE and the Threthayuga, hinting at a possible time travel drama. The teaser ends with Mahesh Babu charging ahead on a ferocious bull, amidst the background of the pilgrimage city of Varanasi. The clip sees the Telugu superstar clad in a blood-soaked shirt with a signature Nandi pendant (which we saw in earlier posters) draped around his neck. One also can't miss the trishool he's holding in his hand, as the camera pans to the front to give us a full view of the frame.

The looks of Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran were released in December as part of the film's promotions. Chopra is Mandakini in the poster, draped in a bright yellow saree, standing precariously on the edge of a cliff while firing a gun—the visual subverts the typical portrayal of commercial film heroines, blending classic style with high-octane action. Sukumaran plays Kumbha, the ferocious antagonist.