Varanasi Promises a New Kind of Rajamouli-Scale Action
Bharatmorning.com – SS Rajamouli’s next feature, Varanasi, is being positioned as a major new action spectacle, but producer SS Karthikeya says audiences should not expect a repeat of the filmmaker’s earlier blockbusters. The film, led by Mahesh Babu and set for an April 2027 theatrical release, will feature action sequences designed to feel distinctly different from those in RRR and the Baahubali films.
The timing is especially notable because the Academy Awards will soon give stunt work its own competitive recognition. Beginning with the 100th Academy Awards in 2028, films released during 2027 will be eligible for the new Achievement in Stunt Design category.
Action Built to Keep Viewers Tense
Speaking to Thyview, Karthikeya described the action in Varanasi as unusually ambitious. He suggested that each major set piece has been conceived to sustain tension rather than simply echo the broad visual language of Rajamouli’s previous adventures.
“It’s going to be crazy and a different kind of action. Not the kind of action that you saw in RRR or Baahubali. It’s a completely different kind of action, but you will be on the edge of your seat in every sequence. So let’s see.”
Rajamouli’s films are known for staging action on an enormous canvas, often combining emotional stakes, stylised imagery and large-scale physical spectacle. RRR, in particular, became an international success after its release, while the two Baahubali films established a benchmark for epic Indian fantasy cinema. Karthikeya’s comments indicate that Varanasi will pursue a fresh action vocabulary rather than relying on familiar moments from those projects.
The upcoming Oscars category could make 2027 an especially important year for action filmmaking. Its introduction acknowledges the work of the specialists who shape dangerous and elaborate scenes for the screen: stunt designers, coordinators, performers, choreographers and other technical contributors. Their work often combines creative planning with detailed safety preparation and execution.
A New Academy Award for Stunt Design
The Achievement in Stunt Design prize will first be handed out at the Academy’s 100th ceremony in 2028. Movies released in 2027 can compete, placing Varanasi within the first eligible group if it arrives as scheduled in April that year.
The award is intended to recognise the creative and technical construction of screen action, from the design of a sequence to the teams responsible for carrying it out. For large-scale productions, stunt work can involve performers, choreography, vehicles, practical effects and carefully coordinated filming methods. The category gives such contributions a formal place at Hollywood’s most prominent film awards.
Whether Varanasi ultimately enters the awards conversation remains to be seen, but Karthikeya’s remarks underline the scale of the ambition behind its action design. The film’s release window also means its stunt work could be evaluated under the Academy’s newly established framework.
Mythology, Folklore and Time Travel
Written by Vijayendra Prasad, Varanasi is Rajamouli’s first project after the global breakthrough of RRR. The story brings together mythology, Indian folk traditions and science-fiction ideas, including time travel, for an adventure that moves across the world.
Mahesh Babu plays Rudhra, whose journey becomes the centre of the film’s early revealed premise. A first glimpse released last year showed Rudhra setting out on a time-travelling mission after being directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran’s character, Kumbha. As the quest develops, Rudhra discovers that Kumbha has hidden motives.
Kumbha serves as the film’s antagonist, adding a conflict that extends beyond the apparent mission. The premise suggests that the action may be closely tied to the film’s time-travel element and globe-spanning setting, rather than being limited to a conventional single-location adventure.
Priyanka Chopra also stars as Mandakini. The film marks her return to Indian cinema after nearly eight years. In the first poster, Mandakini appeared in a saree while carrying a gun, offering an early indication that her character will have a striking presence in the story.
Rajamouli’s Mahabharata Still Awaiting Its Moment
Karthikeya also addressed another project long associated with Rajamouli: his proposed adaptation of the Mahabharata. He said there has not yet been progress on that film, explaining that Rajamouli continues to feel he is not ready to undertake it.
The producer reflected on more than two decades of working alongside Rajamouli and said the director has grown increasingly patient over time. That measured approach has become part of the anticipation around the filmmaker’s future projects, particularly one as vast and culturally significant as the Mahabharata.
For now, the immediate focus is Varanasi. With Mahesh Babu, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Priyanka Chopra heading its cast, and with its storyline mixing folklore, mythology and science fiction, the project arrives with unusually high expectations. Its action sequences may become one of its defining features—especially as the global awards landscape prepares to formally celebrate stunt design for the first time.
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