Varanasi, Globetrotter event Live Updates: Mahesh Babu plays Rudhra in SS Rajamouli time travel film; celebs praise first glimpse

At the Globetrotter event, SS Rajamouli remembered late actor Krishna and praised him for introducing various technologies to Telugu cinema. "He was a pioneer in innovation and raised the bar for Telugu cinema. Now, as I work with his son, superstar Mahesh Babu, we are introducing a new technology — ‘Premier Large-Scale Format filmed for IMAX with Mahesh Babu,’" shared the director.

Priyanka Chopra missed her husband Nick Jonas during her trip to Hyderabad, and for an adorable reason. After the event, when it was time to get her hair undone, the Varanasi star found herself missing him. Priyanka took to her Instagram Stories to share a video and said, "Trying to take off my hair. Who is doing it today? Hi Khushboo (the hairdresser). The series continues of me needing help to take out my hair constantly." Expressing her longing for Nick, Priyanka wrote, "@nickjonas miss u. Thank you @khushboobajpai06 #hairchronicals (laughing with tears face emoji)."

Priyanka Chopra recently shared her look from the Globerotter event in Hyderabad, where SS Rajamouli unveiled the title and first glimpse of his upcoming epic. Sharing photos of her look for the event, PeeCee wrote, "Channeling my inner Devi. #mandakini #varanasi." SEE PICTURES HERE

Suma Kanakala, who hosted the Globetrotter event, posted on X, "Yesterday was a super roller coaster and I loved every bit of it…Seeing @ssrajamouli garu for so many years and witnessing the hard work he puts into everything is just unmatchable. He is truly unstoppable. Super Star @urstrulyMahesh your charm is for a lifetime."

Director Gopichandh Malineni took to X and wrote, "The #varanasi glimpse is pure cinematic brilliance! @ssrajamouli sir’s magical world-building and @urstrulyMahesh’s intense, unseen avatar are going to shake the nation! Heartiest best wishes to the whole team-history is about to repeat again!"

Director Sreenu Vaitla said via X, "The first look of @urstrulyMahesh as RUDRA in #varanasi is an absolute rampage! Especially the shot where the Vaanara Sainyam lifts Lord Rama 🏹 pure goosebumps… truly mind blowing. And finally, the legend our SUPER STAR #krishna Garu’s dream of seeing #maheshbabu perform a mythical character is coming true. Eagerly waiting to watch Babu as Lord SRI RAMA! #globetrotter"

Actor Sudheer Babu, who is married to Mahesh Babu's younger sister Priyadarshini, tweeted, "Two icons. One emotion. Telugu pride on the global stage. #varanasi. @urstrulyMahesh & @ssrajamouli sir… forever inspiring."

Director Buchi Babu Sana posted on X, "Varanasi glimpse looks like a visual marvel @ssrajamouli sir. Every frame is pure divinity and cinematic brilliance. @urstrulyMahesh sir as Rudhra is an absolute goosebumps moment…and I just can’t wait to witness you as “Lord Rama” sir. Rajamouli’s Ramayana Episode… Madly waiting sirrrrrr."

Reacting to the title reveal poster, producer-screenwriter Kona Venkat wrote on X, "WOW is a very understatement for this adrenaline rush through this one still. Only ur capable of presenting our superstar @urstrulyMahesh this way and make every Indian proud @ssrajamouli. It’s #varanasi."

Director Bobby tweeted, "The #varanasi world is on another level - intense, divine, and visually spectacular. @ssrajamouli garu once again proves why he’s the master storyteller, and @urstrulyMahesh garu stuns in a completely transformed avatar as RUDHRA. Wishing the whole team huge success!"

Director-screenwriter Anil Ravipudi shared on X, "There are rare moments when you can feel history being written in real time. Today was one of those moments. The #globetrotter glimpse launch. What an unimaginable world #varanasi is - Mind blown by the spectacular vision. The presentation of every world is ICONIC, especially Trethayuga Lanka Nagaram 7200 BCE is going to be Never before on the big screens. The shot where Vanara Sainyam lifts Lord Ram is pure Goosebumps. Words fall short to describe that last shot of Superstar @UrstrulyMahesh garu…NANDI MEEDA ‘MAHESH’warudu darasanam is what it felt like. Only @ssrajamouli garu can imagine and bring such iconic moments to life in world cinema. Can’t wait for Varanasi to conquer the globe. My best wishes to the entire team."

Aadi Saikumar posted on X, "We believe the story you’re creating has the potential to be India’s Avatar — a cinematic experience that blends emotion, scale, and imagination. We feel such a grand vision deserves more than just one film. Please consider making it into two parts so the world can fully experience the depth, detail, and magic you bring to Indian cinema. We’re eagerly waiting to witness your next masterpiece! @ssrajamouli sir #varanasi. @urstrulyMahesh sir."

At the GlobeTrotter event as Priyanka Chopra joined Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli, she asked the star's fans what they call him and as they chanted “Babu, Babu,” she too joined them in chanting the name.

The GlobeTrotter event was massive in scale, attended by over 50,000 fans of the actor Mahesh Babu and filmmaker SS Rajamouli. The venue reverberated with the sound of 'Jai Babu, Jai Babu' as the teaser was unveiled.

A fan wrote about SS Rajamouli-Mahesh Babu's Varani first look: "From Globetrotter to TimeTrotter to an adventure spanning the world. Only SS Rajamouli has the vision and expertise to achieve this. All eyes on 2027 now."

Varanasi teaser was shared by Mahesh Babu with the world, with the caption, "All that you wished to see.. unfolds today... Here's Varanasi and its world."

As the Varanasi teaser was delayed, SS Rajamouli took to the stage and apologised for the delayed. He also revealed that while the team worked day and night to make the event a success, they took a decision not to test after there was a breach and some drones captured the footage. "And now we don't have enough power," he said. The teaser was shown shortly thereafter.

Rajamouli said, "Since my childhood, I’ve spoken many times about what the Ramayana and Mahabharata mean to me, and how making them is my dream project. I never imagined I would get to shoot an important episode from the Ramayana this early. While writing every scene and every dialogue, I felt like I was floating. On the first day, when Mahesh came in Lord Rama’s get-up for the photoshoot, I got goosebumps. I was torn. Mahesh has the charm of Krishna, but the calmness of Rama. Still, I was confident. I even set that photo as my wallpaper… and then removed it."

He added, "We shot this sequence for 60 days, and we completed it recently. Every single day was a challenge. Every episode and sub-episode felt like a film by itself, everything had to be reimagined and freshly planned. Crossing all those hurdles, we finally wrapped the sequence. I believe it will be one of the most memorable portions of the film."

SS Rajamouli said, "Let me explain what happened. We ambitiously decided to set up this massive LED screen and brought in the best LED panels. To power it all, we needed more than 45 generators. Yesterday, we were supposed to test everything, the cranes, the black cloth, the video. During the test, someone started capturing drone footage and uploaded our content onto social media as if it were from Netflix." 

He added, "That is one year of our hard work, thousands of hours from hundreds of people, and crores of rupees… all leaked because of one drone flying randomly. We couldn’t even test our video properly. We are scared of more leaks now. We took risk and it didn’t work. "

The makers finally unveiled the teaser of Varanasi. It opens with visuals of an ancient land ruled by the wild, followed by glimpses of Hindu deities like Maa Kali and Hanuman, before revealing Mahesh Babu riding a bull. On X, SS Rajamouli also shared a new poster from the film, announcing that Mahesh Babu will play the character of Rudhra.

While addressing the audience, music composer MM Keeravani recreated the iconic Pokiri dialogue with his own twist. He said, “I recently purchased a flat… not in Hyderabad or Vizag. It’s not constructed with cement. It is in the hearts of Mahesh Babu fans. Builder handed over, producer happy, director happy. Melody is mine, beat is mine. See you in summer 2027.”

SS Rajamouli said, "Firstly, I would like to thank the Rachakonda Police Department. KL Narayan garu, thank you for bringing Mahesh and me together. Usually, before my films, I hold a press meet and narrate the story - it became a tradition. But actually, I don’t do that for every film. For 'Baahubali', I didn’t. If there is scope, we will; if not, we won’t. For this film, we won’t. But we wanted to release an announcement video to set the expectations right. We planned it for March but couldn’t. Then the rains came… and now, on November 14, we are finally coming with that video. It’s becoming difficult to keep referring to it as “this film” without revealing the title."

Lauding Superstar Krishna, he said, "I didn’t know much about the greatness of Superstar Krishna garu earlier. I was a fan of NTR garu, but after entering the industry, I understood Krishna garu’s legacy. To introduce a new technology, you must break many norms, and he did that with multiple films. Today, I am proud to say we are introducing a new format to Telugu cinema: a premium large-scale format, filmed for IMAX. You might think, “Aren’t there already IMAX films?” The ones we usually watch are blown-up versions of the CinemaScope print. But a few films, like 'Baahubali' and 'RRR', were actually shot, mastered, and VFX-finished specifically for the format. This film too is being created for IMAX in the truest sense."

She said, "Mahesh, you and your beautiful family have made me feel like Hyderabad is my home, so thank you so much for treating me like family and making this experience so wonderful for me."

She said, "Prithvi, you are very scary in the movie, terrifying, but in real life, you are the complete opposite. So, thank you so much for your wonderful kindness. Rajamouli Sir, all I will say is, you are truly the visionary who has brought Indian cinema to the global audience like no one else. So thank you so much for choosing me as your Mandakini."

Priyanka Chopra addressed the audience and said, "Namaskaram and thank you so much for having me. You have come here in such a big number and we thank you so much for that. You have shown us so much love, you have shown me so much love. To the media all over the world, not just in India. This is the land where cinema is celebration. I’m so happy to be back, making this movie in my beloved India. And I have said this before, and I will say it again, the best way to join Telugu cinema is to do it with the with the greats. And I think myself very lucky that I am able to work with such great artists. "

Prithviraj Sukumaran lauded his co-stars Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra at the event. While he praised Mahesh Babu’s stardom, he also called Priyanka’s performance in the Bollywood film Barfi “one of the greatest.”

At the event Prithviraj said, "This humongous crowd gathered here today to celebrate a piece of cinema that we all truly believe will eventually become our collective pride. It’s truly special to be part of this grand celebration. I think it was a couple of years ago when I was in fact, the mid of my own directorial when I got a message from Rajamouli Sir, 'Hi Prithvi, this is SS Rajamouli. The character of the antagonist in my next film has come out exceedingly well and one of the finest characters I have conceived. Would you be interested in doing this.'"

"Five minutes into the narration I was blown away and for the rest of the three hours, I listen to it, not as an actor, listening to a narration pitch, but more like a little boy whose got his hands on the next edition of his favourite comic book. The scale, the vision, the ambition - everything was India’s greatest contemporary mainstream filmmaker pushing his own limits to never before territory, but truly took my breath away was audacity of the imagination."

"It must be on the bucket list of pretty much every actor out there to one day feature in Rajamouli film, but little did I know that he was going to trust me with one of the most complex, the most emotionally and physically challenging characters that he’s ever thought of.Thank you sir for the trust, for the belief and for the absolutely torturous shooting process, I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Co-producer SS Karthikeya, son of SS Rajamouli and Rama Rajamouli, said, "I thought I would start by making small films, slowly grow as a producer, and eventually make a film with a star. I imagined it might take me 15 years. But things have turned out differently, and today my first speech itself is on a global platform. I feel small because everyone involved in this film is a legend, and I feel blessed. I don’t know if I’m worthy of this, but thank you, everyone. This is a small and humble step to take Indian cinema global and to bring the global audience closer to India. To be doing this in our own city makes me very happy. I’m very thankful to KL Narayan garu for waiting 15 years and standing with us as a co-producer on this film."

Shruti Haasan enthralled the audience with her performance at the event. She performed on Varanasi’s song Sanchari. Dressed in a black outfit, she delivered a power-packed performance.

Bhushan Kumar, managing director of T-Series, at the event, spoke at the event and said, “I just read the name SS Rajamouli. I can’t wait to see the visuals.”

Fans have spotted the Nandi symbol -- Lord Shiva’s mythical vehicle -- both in SS Rajamouli’s teaser and in the necklace Mahesh Babu is wearing in the film as well as at the Globetrotter event. Many believe the mystery behind this symbol will be unveiled tonight. Some fan theories also suggest that Mahesh Babu’s character may possess powers linked to Lord Hanuman.

Varanasi producer SL Narayan called Mahesh Babu a “producer’s actor,” praising his patience and dedication to the film. He also applauded SS Rajamouli, noting that despite the massive success of films like Baahubali and RRR, he remains a simple and deeply committed filmmaker.

Narayan thanked Priyanka Chopra for accepting the film and giving it her all, and expressed gratitude to Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani for agreeing to helm the music. He also lauded Prithviraj Sukumaran for taking on the villain’s role.

Mahesh Babu arrived in a rugged, commanding look, wearing the iconic locket that was first unveiled as a glimpse into his character. The actor made a stylish entrance, waving to fans before greeting music composer MM Keeravani and T-Series head Bhushan Kumar. He also exchanged warm greetings with his co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran before taking his seat.

Priyanka Chopra arrived at the Globetrotter event in a stunning all-white lehenga, drawing cheers as the host welcomed her on behalf of Telugu fans. She walked in with grace, waving to the crowd, before warmly greeting MM Keeravani, Namrata Shirodkar, and Mahesh Babu’s daughter Sitara with a hug.

Prithviraj Sukumaran, who plays the negative role of Kumbha in Varanasi, arrived at the event with his wife Supriya. The actor was seen wearing an all-black outfit, while Supriya opted for a maroon saree.

The big screen at the event flashed #timetrotter along with #globetrotter, prompting fans to share theories online. Many speculated that the film may revolve around time travel, moving between the ancient world and the modern era. One fan wrote, "Time Trotter 🤯 Rajamouli cooking - it's Time Travel Movie ancient world and morden world #globetrotter| #varanasi."

Mahesh Babu’s wife, Namrata Shirodkar, and daughter, Sitara Ghattamaneni, were seen cheering for the actor at the event. While Namrata wore a black and ivory saree, Sitara opted for a gold ensemble.

Fans have taken to social media to praise Mahesh Babu’s intense first look from SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi. In the clip showcased at the event, the actor is seen riding a bull with blood dripping from the corner of his lip and little bit splattered across his face. He also wields a trishul as he charges forward — the bull being the vahana of Lord Shiva according to Hindu mythology.

Fans have shared a video from the event showing Mahesh Babu riding a bull, followed by the word Varanasi flashing on the screen -- confirming that SS Rajamouli’s film is titled Varanasi.

A fan on X (formerly Twitter) shared that filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s family has arrived at the venue and has been seated in the front section near the stage.

As the Globe Trotter event draws closer, fans have started gathering at Ramoji Film City and are sharing videos from the venue. Some clips show a giant stage with a massive screen in the background that will play the teaser of SS Rajamouli’s film, along with the first look of its lead star, Mahesh Babu. The crowd has been divided by barricades, with the front portion reserved as a seating area. The videos also show heavy security deployed at the venue.

Many fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to show the passport-style passes for the event. Earlier, SS Rajamouli had clarified that only individuals with these passes would be allowed inside the venue. Fans also shared the instructions printed on the passes, which mention the designated entry gates, restrict entry for those below 15, and urge attendees to follow directions and maintain discipline at the event.

Fans who have made their way inside Ramoji Film City for the Globe Trotter grand launch have been sharing glimpses from the event. A fan on Twitter posted a video of the makers teasing Mahesh Babu’s first look from the film on the big screen. The photo shows Mahesh Babu standing with his bare back to the camera, holding a trishul.

Priyanka Chopra, who plays the lead role of Mandakini in SS Rajamouli’s film, shared an Instagram story from her car revealing that she was on her way to the event. She also promised fans behind-the-scenes glimpses from the evening. “Make sure you bring your passports and that you are safe. See you there. I will kkeep you posted on all the background stuff,” she said. She also shared a photo of the massive structure at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City.

A fan from Australia, Sunil Avula, travelled all the way from Perth to attend the event tonight. He shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “After 12 hours of flight and 6817 kms from the streets of Perth to RFC Hyderabad. #jaibabu @urstrulyMahesh #globetrotter day.” His dedication left social media amazed. Rajamouli’s son, Karthikeya, was equally moved and commented, “OKKA TELUGODU MAAATRAME FEEL AYYE BIGGEST EMOTION… SKY ALSO NOT THE LIMIT….”

Mahesh Babu, who plays the lead role in SS Rajamouli’s tentatively titled film Globe Trotter, took to Instagram to remember his father, the late legendary actor-director Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy. He shared a throwback photo of himself with his father on a film set and wrote, “Thinking of you a little more today and knowing you’d be proud Nanna.”