Priyanka Chopra Jonas calls Varanasi 'the biggest Indian movie' for her homecoming: 'SS Rajamouli's cohort is the Spielbergs...'

Bollywood and Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas is all set to make her much-awaited Telugu debut in SS Rajamouli’s grand cinematic venture Varanasi, where she will share screen space with Tollywood icon Mahesh Babu for the very first time.

The film marks Priyanka’s return to Indian productions after an extended focus on Hollywood. She admitted that her initial hesitation stemmed from not speaking Telugu, but her meeting with SS Rajamouli in Hyderabad changed everything.




“He took me into his office, and it was just him and I, and he said, ‘Priyanka, there’s no version of this film that goes out to the world if it’s not the best version of you in every frame,’” the actress recalled during her recent interview with Variety.

A transformative return to Indian cinema

Calling her experience on Varanasi transformative, Priyanka revealed she couldn’t have asked for a more fitting project for her homecoming.

“If there was any way of coming back to Indian cinema, it would be with the biggest Indian movie being made, and that undertaking is this film,” she says. “I think Sir’s vision is unlike anyone in this country or abroad. His cohort, if I may say so, is the Spielbergs, the Nolans, the Finchers of the world.”

Varanasi unfolds across thousands of years and multiple continents, weaving mythology and history into a cinematic spectacle. Mahesh Babu plays a dual role — the hero Rudhra and Lord Rama, while Priyanka portrays Mandakini, the film’s leading lady. Prithviraj Sukumaran joins them as the main antagonist Kumbha.

The film is slated for a global theatrical release on April 7, 2027.

From Africa to Varanasi

Among the film’s most ambitious sequences is a massive Africa shoot during the wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The team received special clearance and support from the Kenyan government to film in protected zones.

“I don’t think many people have had that kind of freedom or access to the land of Maasai Mara, besides probably poachers, maybe,” Priyanka said. “Working with real animals was intimidating and exhilarating.”

Timing their schedule around the migration meant sleepless nights for the crew. “Everything was animal dependent. When the elephants moved, we had to move,” she added.

Blending the real and the spectacular

Despite the film’s heavy reliance on visual effects, Rajamouli insisted on merging authentic locations, practical sets, and VFX artistry.

“He’s so specific about making this movie an amalgamation of actual production design, real interaction, and visual effects,” Priyanka explained.



Born in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka holds a spiritual bond with the city of Varanasi.

“I’m a big Shiva Bhakt,” she said. “Hearing the story and understanding why it’s called ‘Varanasi’ was amazing. There was no part of me that felt this story didn’t do justice to the city’s history and gravity.”Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”