Mahesh Babu's look as Lord Rama in SS Rajamouli's Varanasi leaked? Fans wonder: 'Can Ranbir Kapoor match up in Ramayana'

Mahesh Babu plays Lord Rama in a brief flashback in SS Rajamouli's upcoming film Varanasi. The film also stars Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran.

SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus, Varanasi, is still more than a year away from release. The film, described as the most expensive Indian feature film ever mounted, spans not just continents but also eras. Rajamouli confirmed that part of the film takes place in the Treta Yuga with Mahesh Babu portraying Lord Rama in the flashback. Now, social media posts have claimed that the first look of Mahesh as Lord Rama has been leaked.

An image claiming to Mahesh Babu's look as Lord Rama from Varanasi has surfaced on the internet.

Mahesh Babu’s Lord Rama look from Varanasi leaked?

On Saturday, Always Bollywood shared a poster of Varanasi on X (formerly Twitter) with the claim that it was Mahesh Babu’s look as Lord Rama from the film. “#MaheshBabu 's Lord Ram look from the film #Varanasi has surfaced on Mythri Cinemas' digital theatre hoarding in Guntur. The viral poster hints at the actor's intense preparation and the film's epic narrative under SS Rajamouli's direction,” read the caption. The image shows Mahesh’s silhouette, standing atop a cliff, dressed in Lord Rama’s signature saffron, with a bow in one hand and a rudraksh mala in the other, and a quiver full of arrows on his back.

However, social media users were quick to point out that the poster seemed fan-made as the film’s team had made no official confirmation about it. Varanasi’s makers have not revealed Mahesh Babu’s look as Lord Rama from the film yet, and it would be unlikely for it to be revealed accidentally in this manner at a theatre without a formal announcement. X AI Grok also noted: “The poster is described as a leaked image from a Mythri Cinemas hoarding in Guntur, not officially released by the team. SS Rajamouli confirmed Mahesh Babu's role as Lord Ram, but this specific image isn't verified as official.”

Fans react

But in between the clarifications and fact check, many fans believed the image to be true. “If this is really from Rajamouli’s vision, scale will be massive. The silhouette itself looks powerful,” wrote one. Another added, “If this is real, I wonder if Ranbir Kapoor can match up.” Ranbir plays Lord Rama in Nithesh Tiwari’s two-part Ramayana. Part One will release in October this year, six months before Varanasi. The first look of Ranbir as Lord Rama is also under wraps for now. But by and large, fans were convinced that Mahesh’s apparent first look as Lord Rama was either AI-generated or fake.

All about Varanasi

In November 2025, at a grand event in Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City, SS Rajamouli unveiled the title and the film's first look. The three-minute video sets up the film's premise, which traverses continents and centuries, blending sci-fi with episodes from the Ramayana. Mahesh Babu stars as the lead alongside Priyanka Chopra in her comeback to Indian cinema. Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the antagonist. The film, one of the costliest ever made in India, will release in April 2027.