‘I didn’t know what to do’: Mahesh Babu on the ‘crushing’ confusion he felt after Pokiri and why Varanasi is repeating history

The comparison is striking. Varanasi – a globe-trotting adventure filmed across continents with one of India’s most acclaimed directors – is giving Mahesh Babu the same overwhelming feeling that a Telugu mass masala film gave him nearly two decades ago.

So what made Pokiri so seismic that its impact is the only reference point for a film of Varanasi’s scale?

The film, directed by Puri Jagannadh, released on April 28, 2006, and the Telugu film industry would never be quite the same. The film, made on a reported budget of Rs 10-12 crore, collected over Rs 70 crores worldwide at a time when such numbers were unheard of for Telugu cinema, running for 100 days in many centers and becoming the highest-grossing Telugu film of its time.

A year of preparation.
Six months for two perfect shots.
When devotion meets discipline — Mahesh Babu on embodying Lord Rama. 🌟🎬@ssrajamouli @urstrulyMahesh @priyankachopra @PrithviOfficial @mmkeeravaani @SriDurgaArts#Varanasi #MaheshBabu #SSRajamouli #SIIMA pic.twitter.com/NsQMq8yXjp

— SIIMA (@siima) February 4, 2026

Gone was the loud, chest-thumping machismo that defined the 2000s action hero. In its place stood Pandu – a character who walked into frame with his hands in his pockets, delivered devastating one-liners with a half-smile, and made violence look effortless. Mahesh Babu brought an urban cool to mass cinema that the industry had been hungry for.

Understanding this confusion requires understanding the pre-Pokiri landscape. Mahesh had delivered hits like Okkadu (2003) and Athadu (2005), establishing himself as a reliable star. But Pokiri didn’t just add to his filmography – it exploded it into a different stratosphere.

Suddenly, every film had to be bigger, every role had to match or exceed Pandu’s coolness, every dialogue had to become a catchphrase. The expectations weren’t just high – they were impossible.

Taking in every bit of the love and energy… Here’s our @VaranasiMovie to the world.

Thank you to my fans, media and everyone who came from far and showered the team with so much affection….♥️♥️♥️ See you all again very soon… 🤗🤗🤗 #Varanasi pic.twitter.com/OexVgyquEq

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) November 16, 2025

Mahesh explained: “You go through a phase where the expectations of the audiences are so high that you literally go into a space where you don’t know what to do next.”

His subsequent choices tell this story. Sainikudu (2006), released just months after Pokiri, was a lavish action drama that failed to connect. Athidhi (2007) and Khaleja (2010) followed – all films where you can sense the pressure to recapture lightning in a bottle. It wasn’t until Dookudu (2011) – five years later – that Mahesh found his footing again, blending the mass appeal of Pokiri with family entertainment in a way that worked.

The film was remade in Tamil as Pokkiri with Vijay (2007), in Hindi as Wanted with Salman Khan (2009), and in Kannada as Porki (2010). Each version was a massive hit in its respective industry. When asked about films that changed him, Priyanka Chopra Jonas prompted him: “He said before this one, Mahesh.”

And Mahesh’s response revealed everything: “Pokiri made me a star… but nothing like what I’m experiencing right now with this film.”

Pokiri made him a star. Varanasi might make him a legend.