Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra first look from Varanasi has been unveiled on the superstar’s birthday, offering two striking glimpses from SS Rajamouli’s ambitious epic. Shot during the film’s Africa schedule, the stills highlight Rudhra’s contrasting personality while revealing the massive visual scale planned for the IMAX release.

Mahesh Babu’s Rudhra Revealed in Two Striking Stills

Team Varanasi marked Mahesh Babu’s birthday by unveiling two exclusive stills featuring the actor as Rudhra, giving audiences a closer look at the central character of SS Rajamouli’s upcoming epic. The first image shows Rudhra resting on a bamboo raft amid a dense jungle, appearing calm and effortlessly composed while carrying a sense of underlying intensity. The second still shifts dramatically to Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where Rudhra is seen standing in the vast African landscape surrounded by giraffes and wildebeest. His commanding presence against the expansive wilderness hints at the scale and adventurous nature of the story.

SS Rajamouli Explains Rudhra’s Complex Character

According to director SS Rajamouli, Rudhra is a man driven by a purpose far greater than himself and burdened with a destiny he never chose. The filmmaker described the character as witty, vulnerable and fierce, explaining that Mahesh Babu brings both strength and emotional fragility to the role. Rajamouli said this combination was essential because Rudhra is not designed as a conventional action hero defined only by physical power. The newly released Mahesh Babu Rudhra stills are intended to capture these contrasting qualities and offer an early indication of the emotional depth behind the character’s extraordinary journey.

Varanasi Africa Schedule Expands the Film’s Global Scale

The two images were captured during the Varanasi Africa schedule, which took the production to locations around Mount Kilimanjaro and Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Rajamouli said the natural landscapes provided a scale that would have been difficult to recreate on constructed sets. He recalled being overwhelmed by the vast scenery during filming, noting that even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame sometimes seemed insufficient to capture everything before the camera. The film is described as a globe-trotting, century-spanning epic that follows Rudhra from the sacred waters of India to some of the wildest landscapes across the world.

Varanasi Set for Worldwide IMAX Release in April 2027

Directed by SS Rajamouli, Varanasi features music by Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani and is produced by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business. The project is being positioned as a large-scale cinematic experience, with its international locations and expansive visual storytelling playing a major role in the production. Following the release of the Mahesh Babu Rudhra first look from Varanasi, anticipation is expected to build around further character reveals and updates from the makers. Varanasi is currently scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on April 7, 2027, with the film set to arrive in IMAX as part of its global rollout.