SS Rajamouli says he had goosebumps seeing Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama during Varanasi: 'I set that photo as my wallpaper'

Director SS Rajamouli discussed the challenges faced during filming a particular portion in Varanasi that features Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama.

The much-awaited teaser of SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu's SSMB 29, now officially titled Varanasi, was finally unveiled at a grand event on November 15 in Hyderabad. During the event, Rajamouli confirmed that Mahesh would be seen as Lord Rama in the film. He also revealed that he got goosebumps seeing him in the look and immediately set that photo as his mobile wallpaper.

SS Rajamouli opens up about seeing Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama.

SS Rajamouli on getting goosebumps after seeing Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama

Rajamouli said, “Since my childhood, I’ve spoken many times about what the Ramayana and Mahabharata mean to me, and how making them is my dream project. I never imagined I would get to shoot an important episode from the Ramayana this early. While writing every scene and every dialogue, I felt like I was floating. On the first day, when Mahesh came in Lord Rama’s get-up for the photoshoot, I had goosebumps. I was torn. Mahesh has the charm of Krishna, but the calmness of Rama. Still, I was confident. I even set that photo as my wallpaper and then removed it so that no one would see it.”

The filmmaker further spoke about shooting the sequence, saying, “We shot this sequence for 60 days, and we completed it recently. Every single day was a challenge. Every episode and sub-episode felt like a film in itself; everything had to be reimagined and freshly planned. After crossing all those hurdles, we finally wrapped the sequence. I believe it will be one of the most memorable sequences in my films and in Mahesh’s films as well.”

This is the first time Mahesh will be playing a mythological character. During the event, the actor revealed that his late father, superstar Krishna, always wanted him to act in a mythological film but he never agreed. With Varanasi, he is finally fulfilling that wish.

About Varanasi

The teaser hints at the film’s connection to the Ramayana, and many fans are speculating that it involves time travel. Directed by SS Rajamouli, the film stars Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, Priyanka Chopra as Mandakini, and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist, Kumbha. The film is currently in production and is scheduled for a Sankranti 2027 theatrical release.