SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, which is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated releases in recent times, will feature a fight scene between Rama and Kumbhkarna from The Ramayana, as confirmed by the director’s
father. The scene will be a 30-minute sequence which will leave fans in awe. While we know that Mahesh Babu will play Rama, it is yet to be confirmed whether Prithviraj Sukumaran will play Kumbhkarna.
At a recent event hosted by Filmy Focus, Rajamouli’s father, writer Vijayendra Prasad, was asked about the 30-minute scene he had teased. When asked whether it was mythological or political, the writer said, “It’s a war between Rama and Kumbhakarna… You saw in the trailer, right? You saw Rama and Kumbhakarna. You saw Lord Hanuman’s tail and a chariot on it. I’m talking about that…spellbound.”
He soon realised that he should not give away too many details of the film. When asked if the film was based on time zones and who came up with that idea, he said, “We shouldn’t talk about it anymore.” While SS Rajamouli had previously confirmed that Mahesh Babu will be seen as Rama, fans are now speculating whether Prithviraj Sukumaran will play Kumbhkarna.
Rajamouli said at an event last year, “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.”
He added, “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 planned from scratch. 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.”
When the sequence was first released, fans speculated that the film was based on time travel. The excitement surrounding the film is now at an all-time high after the writer’s update. Besides Mahesh and Prithviraj, the film also features Priyanka Chopra and marks her Indian cinema comeback. The film is scheduled to be released in 2027.
