Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra Gets a Powerful Introduction in New ‘Varanasi’ Stills on His Birthday

On the occasion of Mahesh Babu’s birthday, the team of the highly anticipated epic adventure ‘Varanasi’ has unveiled two exclusive stills introducing the Telugu superstar as Rudhra, offering audiences a first glimpse into the character and the vast world of the film.

The first still features Rudhra resting on a bamboo raft in the middle of a dense jungle. Mahesh Babu appears calm and effortlessly charismatic, with an understated intensity that hints at the strength of the character. The second still shifts the setting dramatically to Kenya’s spectacular Maasai Mara, where Rudhra stands amid giraffes and wildebeest, turning back with an unmistakable air of authority.

Together, the new visuals provide a glimpse of the scale and ambition behind ‘Varanasi’. The film is envisioned as a globe-spanning epic that stretches across a century, following one man on an extraordinary journey that connects the sacred landscapes of India with some of the most remote and untamed regions of the world.

Speaking about Rudhra, director S.S. Rajamouli said that the character is driven by a purpose much greater than himself and carries a destiny he never chose. According to the filmmaker, Rudhra combines wit, vulnerability and ferocity, with Mahesh Babu bringing all these contrasting qualities together. Rajamouli also emphasised that portraying fierceness may be relatively easy, but portraying strength and vulnerability simultaneously requires a rare performer.

The filmmaker also revealed that the newly released frames were captured during the film’s Africa schedule. Shooting around Mount Kilimanjaro and across the Maasai Mara gave the team an opportunity to capture the grandeur of nature without relying on constructed sets. Rajamouli noted that some of the landscapes he witnessed during the shoot were so vast that even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame seemed incapable of completely containing what was before the camera.

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli and featuring music by M.M. Keeravani, ‘Varanasi’ is produced jointly by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business. The much-awaited film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on April 7, 2027, in IMAX.