SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi Just Got More Insane — A 30-Minute Rama vs Kumbhakarna Battle Is Officially Confirmed

If you thought RRR’s interval block was the greatest action sequence Rajamouli could ever pull off, brace yourself. The writer of Varanasi — the legendary Vijayendra Prasad, who also happens to be SS Rajamouli’s father — has just dropped a revelation that has set the internet ablaze: the film will contain a full 30-minute battle between Lord Rama and Kumbhakarna. Mahesh Babu versus Prithviraj Sukumaran. Half an hour of pure, mythological, Rajamouli-scale warfare. On the big screen. In 2027.

Varanasi — Everything You Need to Know

What Vijayendra Prasad Revealed — And Why It’s a Big Deal

Vijayendra Prasad — the mastermind behind the screenplays of Baahubali, RRR, and now Varanasi — confirmed in a recent interaction that the film features an extended, half-hour-long mythological clash between the characters of Rama and Kumbhakarna. He described the sequence as “spellbound” — and coming from someone who has written some of the most breathtaking set pieces in Indian cinema history, that single word carries enormous weight.

In Varanasi, Mahesh Babu plays a dual role: a modern-day globe-trotting adventurer named Rudhra, and Lord Rama himself in the mythological dimension of the story. The Ramayana — one of India’s most revered epics — forms the mythological backbone of the film’s narrative, weaving ancient legend into a contemporary adventure framework in a way that only Rajamouli could conceive. For the latest updates on Varanasi and Indian cinema’s biggest upcoming releases, visit TechnoSports

Prithviraj on Playing Kumbhakarna — The Most Demanding Role of His Career

Facing Mahesh Babu in this colossal clash is Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran, cast as Kumbha — the Varanasi version of the mythological giant Kumbhakarna. Prithviraj has opened up about how technically and emotionally gruelling this role has been, and his description of the challenge gives a glimpse into the kind of filmmaking ambition Rajamouli is operating at.

In an interview with Collider, Prithviraj revealed that the performance required him to convey everything entirely through his facial expressions — because nothing from the neck down is visible on screen for significant portions of his role. He described it as one of the most complex characters Rajamouli has ever conceived, requiring extraordinary precision in just eyes and face to carry enormous emotional and narrative weight. It is the kind of acting challenge that very few films anywhere in the world demand of their performers.

Why Varanasi Is Already One of the Most Anticipated Films Ever Made

Beyond the 30-minute battle sequence, Varanasi has been breaking ground in ways no Indian film has before. It is the first Indian feature to shoot extensively in Antarctica — a logistical achievement that alone speaks to the scale of ambition behind the project. Add to that a cast featuring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Prakash Raj, a screenplay by Vijayendra Prasad, and direction by the man who gave the world Baahubali and RRR — and Varanasi arrives in 2027 carrying the weight of perhaps the highest expectations ever placed on an Indian film.

For more on the biggest upcoming South Indian and pan-India films to watch out for, keep following TechnoSports.

FAQs