Two character stills of Priyanka Chopra Jonas from SS Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’ were released on Saturday to mark the actor’s birthday.
‘Varanasi’ has crossed multiple continents for thousands of years, with locations ranging from Antarctica to Africa to storied cities in India. Mahesh Babu plays the dual roles of the protagonist Rudra and the Hindu god Rama, Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays the character Mandakini, and the main antagonist Kumbha is played by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Mandakini’s character required certain qualities that Rajamouli believes Chopra Jonas uniquely possesses. “She can be a really spunky girl or she has to be really vulnerable. There are very few actors who can play both in the same role,” he told Variety. “She has done a great job and we are very happy to have her on board.”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas – “Varanasi”
Shri Durga Art/Show Business
The film marks Chopra Jonas’ return to Indian cinema after Hollywood projects such as ‘Citadel’ and ‘The Matrix Resurrections’. She says this work was career-defining. “If there was ever a way to come back to Indian cinema, it would be by making the biggest Indian film, and that project is this film,” she says. “I think Sir’s vision is unlike anyone else in this country or abroad. His peers are, so to speak, the Spielbergs of the world, the Nolans of the world, the Finchers of the world.”
‘Varanasi’ is director Rajamouli’s sequel to the Academy Award winning ‘RRR’. MM Keeravani, who won an Oscar for ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, will be returning to compose the music for the new film.
Varanasi will be released in theaters worldwide on April 7, 2027.
