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Tag: #IndianCinema

SS Rajamouli’s Grand Varanasi Set In Hyderabad: A Game-Changer For Mahesh Babu’s Mega Film

Ace filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli is once again pushing the boundaries of Indian cinema with his upcoming film starring Mahesh Babu. Instead of shooting in the real city of Varanasi, the director has recreated the holy city entirely in Hyderabad—and the scale is massive.

🏗️ Why Recreate Varanasi?

Filming in Varanasi, one of India’s busiest and most sacred cities, comes with major challenges:

  • Heavy crowds and restricted access
  • Difficulty in controlling locations
  • Complex logistics for large-scale shoots

To overcome this, Rajamouli chose to build a full-scale replica, giving him complete creative control over every detail.

🎥 A Massive Set Built from Scratch

The set is not just a simple backdrop—it’s a highly detailed reconstruction of Varanasi’s iconic architecture and ghats.

  • Built across several acres in Hyderabad
  • Includes temple structures like Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple
  • Designed using real-life references and thousands of photographs
  • Constructed with durable materials to last for years

👉 The goal: make it look so real that audiences feel like they are actually in Varanasi.

💰 Big Budget, Bigger Vision

This film, often referred to as “Varanasi” (SSMB29), is one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, with reports suggesting a budget of around ₹1000+ crore.

The movie stars:

  • Mahesh Babu
  • Priyanka Chopra
  • Prithviraj Sukumaran

⚙️ Technology Meets Real Sets

Rajamouli is not just relying on physical sets—he is also using:

  • Advanced VFX and motion capture
  • Large-scale action sequences
  • Global filming locations like Africa and Georgia

This combination of real sets + technology aims to deliver a truly immersive cinematic experience.

🔐 High Secrecy on Set

To avoid leaks, the production team has taken strict measures:

  • No mobile phones allowed
  • Heavy security around the set
  • Limited access to outsiders

🌍 A Film Made for Global Audience

Rajamouli’s vision is clear:
👉 Create a world-class cinematic experience that can compete globally

With its scale, technology, and storytelling, this film is expected to be a landmark project in Indian cinema, much like Baahubali and RRR.

Telangana’s Agriculture and Creative Economy Drive Economic Growth: Ministerial Insights at Global Summit 10-December- 2025

Hyderabad, December 10, 2025: Telangana is charting a remarkable path of economic growth, with agriculture positioned as the state’s key growth engine. Speaking at the Global Summit 2025 in Hyderabad, Agriculture Minister Tummala Ramachandra Reddy highlighted the government’s proactive initiatives in promoting sustainable farming, palm oil cultivation, and digital agriculture.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Minister Tummala, Telangana has invested over ₹10,000 crore in farmer welfare programs over the past two years. Palm oil cultivation has emerged as a strategic sector for economic and environmental impact. Currently covering 3 lakh acres, the government aims to expand palm oil cultivation to 10 lakh acres, enhancing green cover while offering long-term profitability to farmers. Minister Tummala emphasized that sustainable palm oil farming will be a “game-changer” for Telangana’s agricultural landscape.

At the summit, Minister Tummala also reviewed the progress of the Integrated Oil Palm Complex in Khammam’s Gubbagurthi village, spearheaded by M/s Godrej Agrovet Limited. The 116-acre facility includes a palm oil nursery, R&D center, seed processing unit, and a processing facility. The complex is designed to incorporate advanced processing technologies, strengthen research on climate-resilient crops, and improve seed quality through strategic international collaboration with Malaysian and Thai partners.

The initiative underscores Telangana’s vision for eco-friendly, digital, and smart agriculture, aiming to transform the sector with cutting-edge research and high-quality, climate-resilient crop varieties. Minister Tummala stressed that agriculture, along with its allied economic systems valued at $34.6 billion, is expected to reach $400 billion by 2047, fueling Telangana’s economic ambitions.

Hyderabad Emerges as a Global Entertainment Hub

In a parallel session at the Global Summit, Telangana Roads, Buildings, and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy highlighted Hyderabad’s rise as a major hub for the global creative economy. Addressing delegates under the theme “The Creative Century: India’s Soft Power & The Future of Entertainment”, he noted that Indian cinema, music, gaming, and digital content are increasingly shaping global audiences, with Indian films being viewed in over 170 countries.

Hyderabad boasts world-class infrastructure including Ramoji Film City, advanced VFX and gaming companies, and a diverse creative workforce. The Telangana government is actively supporting the ecosystem through incentive-based policies, international production facilitation, and innovation centers for AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Extended Reality).

Minister Komatireddy emphasized the government’s commitment to sustainable growth and industry welfare, offering capital subsidies for large-scale investments, production reimbursements for use of local resources, and welfare contributions from increased ticket pricing. He highlighted that while technology will revolutionize content creation, human-centered storytelling will remain the heart of entertainment.

Positioning Hyderabad as India’s gateway to global entertainment, the minister invited international studios, streaming platforms, gaming companies, and investors to participate in shaping the future of the creative economy.

SSMB29 Becomes ‘Varanasi’: Rajamouli Drops a Spectacle, Fans Go Wild

The stage was set, the fans were buzzing, and when the moment finally came, it was nothing short of cinematic thunder. The highly-anticipated event for Sony/Sri Durga Arts’ upcoming magnum opus — formerly referred to as SSMB29 or GlobeTrotter — finally made its big reveal: the official title is Varanasi. The event, held at the sprawling Ramoji Film City on 15 November 2025, marked a milestone in Indian cinema’s grand-scale storytelling. 

The Event & Unveiling

From the outset, the organisers under director S. S. Rajamouli spared no effort. In fact, the entry pass was replaced with a passport-style booklet, embracing the “GlobeTrotter” theme. 

 Over 50,000 fans reportedly gathered at Ramoji to witness the spectacle live, while the title reveal and first look were streamed online for the rest of the world

The big moment: the screen lit up, the title Varanasi emerged in all its glory, and then a striking motion poster appeared — featuring lead actor Mahesh Babu riding a powerful bull, trident in hand, muscles taut, backdrop of myth and mystery swirling.

Character & Concept Glimpse

Rajamouli wasn’t just unveiling a title — he teased an entire world. Mahesh Babu was introduced as Rudhra, a rugged explorer-hero unlike anything the actor has played before. 

The film also brings onboard global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas (as Mandakini) and Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran (as Kumbha), setting up a mass-pan-Indian collaboration.

In his speech, Rajamouli revealed that a pivotal sequence elevates the story to mythic proportions — Mahesh Babu’s avatar draws on the charm of Krishna and the calm of Rama, suggesting that the film may reinterpret epic motifs for a modern audience.

Visuals & Ambition

The teaser/glimpse played at the event spanned time and space: from the ancient city of Varanasi to jungle terrains in Africa, from 512 CE to 2027 CE, even Antarctica making a dramatic appearance. The set design is reported to include a full recreation of Varanasi within Ramoji, and the film is being shot for IMAX in the truest sense. 

Director Rajamouli also addressed a hiccup — a technical glitch delayed the full screening of the teaser, and he lamented footage leaked by a drone during testing, pointing to the immense stakes and scale of the project. 

Reactions & Highlights

Social media exploded. One fan cried out in Telugu:

“Arey asalem jaruguthundi ra akkada. What the frame. MB on nandi (impressed).”

From the stage, Mahesh Babu pledged:

“I’ll make everyone proud! Most importantly, I’ll make my director proud. After Varanasi is released, the whole of India will be proud.” 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas reflected:

“The energy tonight is electrifying… I am so glad to be back making this movie in my beloved India. The best and only way to join Telugu cinema is to do it with such greats.”

Prithviraj, moved by Rajamouli’s narration, said he was “mind-blown” within the first five minutes of the script – calling the scale and ambition “the best filmmaker in India again pushing his limits.

What This Means

With Varanasi, Rajamouli is signalling something beyond just another big film — it appears to be an action-mythology-adventure designed for global impact. The choice of title, blending the sacred Indian city Varanasi with a story that spans continents and epochs, hints at a bridging of local ethos and universal spectacle.

For Mahesh Babu, this marks his first collaboration with Rajamouli and perhaps a reinvention of his screen persona. For Indian cinema — particularly Telugu cinema — the barrage is clear: think big, think global, and tell stories that resonate mythically and theatrically.

What’s Next?The film is slated for a January 2027 release, according to the event introduction.More details are expected soon: full trailer drop, teaser roll-outs, international market strategies, and more glimpses of the cast and crew in action.

Source: Timesofindia.indiatimes