Producer SS Karthikeya On Creating World Of Varanasi: We Built Ghats Brick By Brick As Per Rajamouli's Vision

S. S. Rajamouli’s film Varanasi has become one of the most talked about Indian projects. The big-screen release is scheduled for 7th April, 2027, and expectations are already high. The cast includes Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Prithviraj Sukumaran in key roles, which is drawing strong interest from audience and trade circles.

The first footage from Varanasi was screened at the Trailer Festival at Le Grand Rex in Paris. The venue is known as Europe’s largest iconic screen, which added weight to the launch. Viewers at the festival responded with loud applause, cheers, and whistles from the opening moments of the preview.

Varanasi trailer festival buzz and Varanasi international response

After the Trailer Festival showcase, Varanasi also travelled to Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026. The team used the international convention to speak to fans and professionals. Producer S. S. Karthikeya attended the event and explained how the world of Varanasi has been created for the film, both visually and thematically.

At Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026, producer S. S. Karthikeya presented Varanasi and stated, "The story begins, and revolves, and ends in Varanasi. It's also called the spiritual capital of India and its one of the oldest city that was built and still inhabited and obviously our director SS Rajamouli had a vision of some breath-taking sequences in the Ghats of Varanasi, which obviously practically we couldn't have possibly executed there, as the producer our responsibility is to make that happen. We sent out our production design team to Varanasi to get all the possible dyes, measurements, picture references and all of that, and yes to get his vision come true we built the Varanasi Ghats brick by brick to ensure his vision comes true."

Varanasi cast, Varanasi characters and Varanasi production scale

To match S. S. Rajamouli’s plans for Varanasi, the production team has recreated the Ghats on set. The team collected detailed measurements, colour samples, and visual references from the actual city. These inputs helped designers build the Varanasi Ghats brick by brick, allowing controlled filming while aiming to keep the setting visually close to the real location.

First look posters from Varanasi have intensified the discussion. Mahesh Babu appears as Rudhra, Prithviraj Sukumaran is seen as Kumbha, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Mandakini. The powerful images spread quickly on social media, sparking a wave of comments, fan theories, and nationwide curiosity about how these characters link to the city’s spiritual setting.

With international festival exposure, large-scale set construction, and star-driven character reveals, Varanasi is drawing steady attention. Audience reaction at Le Grand Rex and Comic Con Experience Mexico 2026 suggests strong early interest, and the film now moves towards its theatrical release on 7th April, 2027, as one of the major titles on the calendar.