Mahesh Babu as Rudhra in a still from the teaser of Varanasi, directed by SS Rajamouli.Director SS Rajamouli has offered the most detailed account yet of what audiences can expect from Varanasi, his upcoming action-adventure epic starring Mahesh Babu, revealing that the film’s narrative spans continents and centuries, travelling from the holy city of Varanasi to Antarctica, then to Africa, back in time to Ancient Rome, and finally returning to where it all began.“The journey of Varanasi film goes from Varanasi to Antarctica, then to Africa, then travels back in time to Ancient Rome, and finally returns to Varanasi. We’ve released a teaser, but I didn’t want to reveal too much because it wouldn’t do justice to the film. Instead, we made a video showing the kind of experience audiences can expect, without revealing the story,” Rajamouli said in a conversation with European magazine Tsounami.The filmmaker also shared a significant production update. He confirmed that 80 percent of the shoot has been completed, with only smaller episodes remaining. All the major action sequences, he said, have already been filmed. “We started working on the story in 2022 after RRR was completed. It has been almost four and a half years,” Rajamouli said. He added that the remaining 20 percent of the shoot has resumed in Hyderabad, with the aim of wrapping production before Dasara.Also Read: SS Rajamouli is ready to sit on dharna if there aren’t enough IMAX screens in India by 2027: Here’s how much it costs to build one screenSS Rajamouli also confirmed that Varanasi is the first non-English film to be shot entirely in IMAX, a technical distinction that underlines the scale at which the film has been conceived.The teaser, which was first unveiled at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on November 15 last year to tens of thousands of fans, offered glimpses of the film’s scope. The footage showed scenes spanning from 512 CE in an ancient kingdom to the year 2071, with meteors threatening the city, along with visuals of Antarctica, Africa and underground caves.Varanasi has been described in international media as a cross between the Indiana Jones and James Bond franchise. In an earlier interview with Inverse, SS Rajamouli had spoken about the father-son relationship at the heart of the story. Mahesh Babu plays dual roles as Rudhra, an everyman, and Lord Rama. “You might not understand the whole story of Rama, but there is no need to. If you understand the emotions of the characters, you’ll understand what is happening.”Story continues below this adThe cast includes Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha, the antagonist described as a scientist. Shruti Haasan is also part of the ensemble. The music is composed by M.M. Keeravani, Rajamouli’s long-time collaborator who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR. The film is produced under the Sri Durga Arts banner.Varanasi is SS Rajamouli’s first film since RRR (2022), which became a global phenomenon, winning an Oscar, grossing over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide, and introducing South Indian cinema to a new international audience. Before that, the Baahubali franchise had already established Rajamouli as one of the most commercially successful filmmakers in global cinema.Varanasi is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on April 7, 2027.