Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, Prithviraj's names missing from Varanasi title card; fans deduce why SS Rajamouli did so

SS Rajamouli's Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead. The film's title was unveiled on Saturday.

The title of SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film, Varanasi, was unveiled in a grand event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on Saturday. The event was attended by Rajamouli as well as the film’s star cast - Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, eagle-eyed fans noted that the first title poster of the film does not mention the actors, while giving ample space to the technicians. And fans of Rajamouli already know why this is the case.

Mahesh Babu stars in SS Rajamouli's Varanasi.

Varanasi title poster omits actors’ names

On Saturday night, along with the film’s title, SS Rajamouli unveiled its first look, offering a glimpse into its world and setting that spans continents and centuries. Tentatively called GlobeTrotter, the film was officially revealed to be titled Varanasi. The 3-minute video concludes with a title reveal, featuring the final title card that reads: SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi. Below it are the names of the producers, writer K Vijayendra Prasad, composer MM Keeravani, and other technicians. Conspicuously absent from the list are the three actors - Mahesh, Priyanka, and Prithviraj.

Varanasi title card.

The absence was noted by the fans, with even a Reddit post wondering: “Out of curiosity! Why haven’t they mentioned any actors name on the credits card at the end? We’ve always seen the lead’s name at the top of any title, and surprised how they didn’t mention any of the actors.”

Fans reveal why

But fans of SS Rajamouli knew that this is a format the director has used since Baahubali. One reasoned, “Since these are larger than life movies, I don't add any actor's name in the title/poster because I want the audience to remember the characters of the film and the world set in when they see the poster. Also during intro scenes he didn't add any tags or names. The movie just stays in its world. That's why maybe he is adding actors' names at the end credits of the movie from Bahubali 1, 2, RRR.”

Another added, “Rajamouli's movies usually don't have actors' names on the poster. His thinking is that the movie is way bigger than the actor.”

Many also noted that for global audiences, Rajamouli is the USP of the film, not the actors, despite their stardom. “The biggest superstar in the cast is SSR, not Mahesh Babu. The whole production is shouldered on the brand SSR, not Mahesh Babu or Priyanka or Prithivi,” argued one.

All about Varanasi

Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu as Rudhra. A glimpse of the actor riding a bull on the streets of Varanasi was unveiled on Saturday, along with the title teaser. Not much is known about the character beyond the name. Similarly, Priyanka plays Mandakini, a gun-wielding saree-draped protagonist who also remains an enigma. Prithviraj plays Kumbha, the film’s antagonist, who was shown to be in a wheelchair. The ambitious pan-India film is currently in production and is set to release worldwide on Sankranthi 2027.