'Varanasi’ shoot moves to Hyderabad
Rajamouli to mount one of Indian cinema’s biggest-ever battle sequences
SS Rajamouli is all set to create cinematic history with a colossal war sequence for his much-awaited mythological action adventure Varanasi. After unveiling the first glimpse of the film at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris, the filmmaker will return to the sets on July 7, 2026, in Hyderabad to begin filming what is being described as one of the grandest battle spectacles ever attempted in Indian cinema.
The upcoming schedule will revolve around a massive battlefield sequence. Leading man Mahesh Babu will spearhead the action, with around 3,500 junior artists participating in the physically staged portions of the sequence.
But the real scale of the battle will go far beyond what is seen on set. Using cutting-edge visual effects, motion-capture technology and digital augmentation, the team plans to multiply the massive live-action crowd into a gigantic army on screen. The final sequence is expected to showcase a battlefield filled with an army of nearly 50,000 to 100,000 warriors.
The shoot will take place on elaborate indoor and outdoor sets in Hyderabad, including a breathtaking Rs 50-crore recreation of the ancient city of Varanasi at a studio in the city. The decision to recreate the city on a grand scale was driven by the challenges of filming a large-scale action sequence in the densely populated real location.
The production team has reportedly spent weeks preparing the technical and logistical requirements for this mammoth sequence. Sources reveal that artists involved in the motion-capture process were even required to shave their facial hair to ensure accurate digital tracking and seamless visual effects integration.
Interestingly, the epic war sequence was originally to be shot in Varanasi. Due to logistical reasons the shooting is shifted to Hyderabad.
MEANWHILE
Rajamouli gets permanent seat at Cinémathèque Française
Posting from Paris, Rajamouli said screening his films there was an honour in itself. “But the real surprise was one I never imagined. It’s hard to describe,” he wrote on X. “To have my name permanently in one of the world’s most iconic film institutions, founded by Henri Langlois, is something I’ll treasure for life.”
French cinema icon Costa-Gavras, attended Rajamouli’s screening with his wife. He came for just RRR, but stayed for almost eight hours, watching Eega as well instead of coming back another day.
Rajamouli follows in Satyajit Ray’s footsteps. It first honoured Ray in 1982 and later held a retrospective of all 28 of his features and 8 shorts after his death in 1992!
