‘Varanasi’ star Priyanka Chopra recalls ‘crazy’ shoot with Mahesh Babu-SS Rajamouli in Kenya: 'It’s like the coolest thing'

Priyanka Chopra will return to Indian cinema in the SS Rajamouli directorial ‘Varanasi,’ starring opposite Mahesh Babu. The film is a magnum opus that will explore multiple timelines. As the film is currently in production, the global icon shared her experience shooting the action-adventure in Kenya, Africa.

Priyanka Chopra’s shooting experience in Kenya

During her recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Priyanka Chopra revealed that they shot for the film amid a herd of wild beasts in Kenya, calling it a “crazy” experience. “I was filming in Africa recently in Kenya, for this Indian movie I am doing called ‘Varanasi’. And we shot with wildebeests. In the middle of them. Me and my co-actor Mahesh Babu were in the middle of these wildebeests that were all around us while they were migrating. It’s like the coolest thing I have ever seen but when you see their faces and for how many years, versions of them have existed. You feel the gravity when you see these animals in the wild. It’s crazy," she said.

Mahesh Babu recalls the intimidating first day

Earlier, Mahesh Babu also spoke about the same schedule during an interview with Discussing Film. The actor admitted that the situation felt a little intimidating at first. Being surrounded by wild animals made the first day of shooting quite tense.



"It's something I will never forget. The first day of shooting in Africa right in the middle of these animals, we had to get down from this vehicles and had to walk. I usually lead from the front, but on that particular day I was a bit hesitant. There were these walkie-talkies, and I could hear (Rajamouli) sir's voice saying, 'PC (Priyanka Chopra) I want you to walk (in) front,' and I was like... yes," he said. “It was a bit intimidating with all those wild animals but after 5 or 10 minutes you wouldn’t see the cameras, you wouldn’t see anybody. It's just us in the middle of the wildlands,” he added.

‘Varanasi’ also features Prithviraj Sukumaran playing the main villain. The film is set for a global release on April 7, 2027.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”