Priyanka Chopra Looks Formidable In SS Rajamouli's Upcoming Epic, Varanasi

SS Rajamouli's much-awaited film, Varanasi, has shared a first glimpse of Priyanka Chopra. Two new stills from the upcoming saga have dropped, featuring Chopra as Mandakini. The new images arrive as a celebration of Chopra’s birthday on Saturday, July 18. Sharing the photos, Rajamouli wrote, "Grace when she smiles. Fire when she doesn’t. Mandakini…" One image shows her ferocity, the other effervescence.

Varanasi takes place over thousands of years and in locations around the world, from Antarctica to Africa to the titular city in India.

In Varanasi, Chopra’s first Indian theatrical release since 2019’s The Sky Is Pink, she plays Mandakini, a “fierce, globetrotting character who is strong, vulnerable and unforgettable in equal measure.”

Varanasi As A Globe-Trotting Adventure

Recently, Chopra appeared on the Hey Jones podcast where she revealed, “I have been working on it for about 14 months now. But SS Rajamouli is known to take that kind of time to make movies. He called me for this movie and its this epic adventure around the world and in time.” Hinting at the film’s action-packed sequences, she added, “It has taken a minute but I am so excited about it. I do so many amazing slow-motion jumps in it and that’s all I can say about it.”

The upcoming epic marks the director's most ambitious international collaboration to date. The production schedule spans multiple global filming locations. Rajamouli's previous film, RRR, achieved historic global success. The Telugu blockbuster secured an Academy Award win for its hit track "Naatu Naatu". In Varanasi, the male lead, Rudhra, is played by Mahesh Babu, who also essays Lord Rama in a secondary role. Prithviraj Sukumaran plays Kumbha, the primary antagonist, a man who uses a wheelchair and is “dangerously unlimited in his mentality.” Chopra’s Mandakini is torn between both men.

Varanasi is scheduled to release in theatres on April 7, 2027.