Mahesh Babu as Rudhra Unveiled in Rajamouli's Varanasi — SkimNews
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- Mahesh Babu plays the dual role of protagonist Rudhra and Hindu God Rama in "Varanasi," with Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran as main antagonist Kumbha.
- Rajamouli released two stills shot at Kilimanjaro and Maasai Mara: one of Babu reclining on a bamboo raft in a jungle setting, the other in profile against the African savannah with giraffes and zebras.
- Rajamouli described Rudhra as "witty, vulnerable, and fierce," praising Babu for being able to play "fierce and fragile in the same breath."
- Babu spent a year preparing for the role, including three months of Kalari martial arts training solely to adjust his posture for period-appropriate bearing, plus months training with a track and field team to modify his running style.
- "Varanasi" spans thousands of years across continents including Antarctica, Africa, and the titular Indian city, and is Rajamouli's follow-up to the Academy Award-winning "RRR."
- M.M. Keeravani, who won the Oscar for "RRR's" "Naatu Naatu," is returning to score "Varanasi," which opens in theaters worldwide on April 7, 2027.
Why it matters: Rajamouli's first film since "RRR" won the Academy Award carries enormous expectations, and the reveal positions Mahesh Babu as a spiritual-action lead trained extensively in Kalari martial arts for a role requiring both divine and human vulnerability — a dual-register performance the director explicitly framed as the project's emotional core.
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