SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi film to be shot entirely for IMAX

Director SS Rajamouli is filming his upcoming epic, ‘Varanasi’, entirely for the IMAX format. The film, starring Mahesh Babu as the character Rudhra, is scheduled for release on April 7, 2027. Recent promotional stills released on Mahesh Babu’s birthday showcase the film’s scale, featuring locations such as Kenya’s Maasai Mara and the area around Mount Kilimanjaro.

The decision to shoot for IMAX represents a significant financial gamble for Indian cinema. While the format offers a premium experience, India currently possesses only about 26 IMAX screens. Industry executives from PVR INOX note that the high cost of installation—approximately Rs 10-11 crore per screen—makes exhibitors hesitant to invest without a consistent stream of domestic content designed for the format.

Producers and filmmakers describe a ‘chicken-and-egg’ situation: filmmakers need more screens to recover high production costs, while exhibitors require more IMAX-ready content to justify the investment in new screens. Rajamouli’s project aims to bridge this gap by providing high-scale content that could drive demand for premium large-format viewing in India.