Priyanka Chopra’s Varanasi look arrives for her birthday
S.S. Rajamouli’s post-RRR action-adventure has revealed Chopra as Mandakini ahead of its 2027 worldwide release.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Priyanka Chopra has stepped into the frame for Varanasi, the next feature from RRR director S.S. Rajamouli, with two newly released stills showing the actor in character as Mandakini.
Deadline reported that the images were released to mark Chopra’s birthday on Saturday, July 18. The stills are credited to Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business.
Varanasi is being positioned as an action-adventure film with a sweeping canvas. According to Deadline, the story spans thousands of years and moves across multiple parts of the world, including Antarctica, Africa and the Indian city named in the title.
The film stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. It is Rajamouli’s follow-up to RRR, the global breakout that won the Academy Award for best original song for “Naatu Naatu.”
MM Keeravani, who composed “Naatu Naatu,” is also working on Varanasi, Deadline reported. The film is scheduled to open in theaters worldwide on April 7, 2027.
Chopra praises Rajamouli’s set
Chopra spoke last month at Cannes Lions about working with Rajamouli, according to Deadline. She said the filmmaker “has complete and utter control on set.”
“You just come as an actor in with the weight of your character, which is also really freeing as you’re not thinking about the things you would as a producer,” Chopra said at the event.
The first-look rollout adds another marker for one of Rajamouli’s most watched projects since RRR turned “Naatu Naatu” into an awards-season juggernaut and brought the director fresh international attention.
A teaser for Varanasi has also been released under the title VARANASI to the WORLD, featuring the names Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, Prithviraj, S.S. Rajamouli and MM Keeravani.
Another Chopra project is also lined up
Chopra’s upcoming slate also includes Reset, a survival thriller directed by Matt Smukler. Deadline reported that the film is expected to begin production in August.
Written by Jordan Rawlins, Reset centers on a woman played by Chopra who wakes up in the wilderness, days away from civilization, with no memory of how she got there.
According to the reported plot, her only chance to survive is to rely on a charming stranger, played by Orlando Bloom, though he may not be who he claims to be.
For now, the spotlight is on Mandakini. With Chopra’s look unveiled and a worldwide release date set, Varanasi has begun its long march toward theaters.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.