Mahesh Babu to Portray Lord Rama in SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, Actor Reveals Ramayana Connection – Woman’s era Magazine
Ever since SS Rajamouli announced his ambitious action-fantasy epic Varanasi, the film has remained one of the most talked-about projects in Indian cinema. With a stellar cast featuring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, followed by a visually explosive teaser launch, expectations have soared to unprecedented heights. Now, a major revelation about Mahesh Babu’s role has taken the excitement to a whole new level.
Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu Confirms Ramayana Inspiration
In a recent interview, Mahesh Babu confirmed that Varanasi draws inspiration from a chapter of the Indian epic Ramayana. More significantly, the superstar revealed that his character Rudra will portray Lord Rama in a portion of the film. This revelation comes after SS Rajamouli disclosed that the film includes a massive war sequence, shot specially in IMAX format to deliver an immersive theatrical experience.
Mahesh Babu
Despite its epic scale, Rajamouli has clarified that Varanasi is a standalone film, with no sequel planned. Speaking to one of the media houses, Mahesh Babu opened up about the intense preparation required for portraying Lord Rama on screen. “I’m playing Lord Rama. It required a specific posture. You can’t stand like modern characters,” he said.
Mahesh Babu
The actor revealed that Rajamouli gave him references from European statues, which he kept in his study and even saved on his phone to practice the posture consistently. “During a family holiday in Germany, I would unconsciously assume that posture. Some foreigners looked at me and wondered, ‘Is this guy alright?’” he laughed. That rigorous process, however, paid off. Mahesh added that now, during shooting, maintaining the posture feels completely natural.
Mahesh Babu
In another interview, Mahesh Babu revealed that he underwent Kalari training, an ancient martial art form from Kerala, specifically to perfect his movement and body language for the role. “Only two shots of that training made it into the final cut. But when I saw them, I knew it was worth it,” he said. The actor emphasized that six months of preparation transformed not just his walk, but his entire physical presence.
