A parched plot twist: Hyderabad water board says ‘cut’ to SS Rajamouli’s 150-tanker request for Varanasi

SS Rajamouli’s films are built on heroes overcoming the impossible, but Hyderabad’s peak summer has emerged as a formidable antagonist for his upcoming epic, Varanasi. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) “cut the tap” on a 1.5 million-litre request for the upcoming globe-trotting epic Varanasi, citing the city’s parched summer reality. The decision has disrupted plans for a key underwater sequence featuring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra scheduled to commence from May 18 at a custom built set at Hyderabad Film City in Gaganpahad, Rajendranagar.What happenedThe logistics behind the request were as ambitious as a Rajamouli climax. The production house, Sri Durga Arts, sought 150 tankers, each with a 10,000 litre capacity, to fill a custom-built pond designed for complex aquatic filming. Despite the filmmakers offering to bear the full cost of the purified water and transportation, the request was deemed too large for the state board to accommodate.We prioritised residents over shoot: HMWSSBThe decision to snub the production stems from a mandate to prioritise residential needs. “Hyderabad is currently witnessing a surge in water demand due to rising temperatures, leading to increased dependence on tanker supply across several parts of the city. If we send so much water for a shoot, it would affect domestic drinking water supply. There is no shortage as such for now, but supplying such a large quantity would impact regular supply for residents, which is why the request was denied,” revealed a source from HMWSSB.Schedule tweaks likelyThe rejection has impacted the planned timeline for the underwater sequences, which were expected to be a key visual element in the film. With the May 18 deadline looming, the crew is now caught between two expensive alternatives: navigating the high-cost private water market or deferring the ambitious shoot until the arrival of the monsoon.City’s growing tanker demand The HMWSSB supplies 5,000-litre domestic tankers at around ₹500 per trip. This summer, daily demand has crossed 11,000 trips across the city, with over 60% coming from Durgam Cheruvu, Madhapur, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Hafeezpet and Nizampet.