Mahesh Babu Wraps Up 20-Month Journey for Rajamouli’s Varanasi: What Happens Next?
Mahesh Babu has reached a major milestone in his collaboration with SS Rajamouli. The actor has reportedly completed his portion of shooting for Varanasi, bringing an approximately 20-month filming journey to a close.
What makes this development interesting is that Mahesh’s “pack-up” does not mean the film itself is finished. Rajamouli and his team still have production and post-production work ahead, with the movie currently targeting a theatrical release on April 7, 2027.
From January 2025 to September 2026
Mahesh Babu began his Varanasi journey on January 24, 2025. On September 22, 2026, he completed his portions, making the journey roughly 20 months long.
That is an unusually long production commitment for a lead actor, but the scale of Varanasi helps explain why the project has taken so much time.
The film is being mounted as a large-scale adventure with extensive action, multiple locations and substantial visual-effects requirements. Earlier updates indicated that major action sequences had already been completed, while the team was moving through remaining scenes and connecting portions.
Why Mahesh Babu’s wrap is important
For a film of this scale, completing the lead actor's portions is more than just another shooting update.
It gives the production team greater flexibility to concentrate on the remaining work, including portions involving other actors, patchwork and post-production.
Recent reports have indicated that the overall shoot is approaching completion, with some updates pointing toward an October 2026 wrap for the remaining filming.
The movie is still far from the finish line
One important distinction for movie fans is the difference between shooting completion and movie completion.
Even after filming ends, a film like Varanasi requires extensive editing, visual effects, sound work, background score and other technical processes.
Rajamouli's project is expected to involve considerable VFX work, meaning the post-production phase could become an equally important part of the film's journey.
So Mahesh Babu's wrap should be viewed as a major production milestone rather than the final stage of the movie.
What about the April 2027 release?
The currently announced target is April 7, 2027. Earlier reports also indicated that the production schedule was being planned around completing filming before moving deeply into post-production.
That leaves the team with several months between the expected completion of shooting and the theatrical release.
For a conventional film, that might seem like a comfortable window. For a Rajamouli film of this scale, however, much of that period can be consumed by VFX, editing, sound design and promotional preparations.
Mahesh Babu’s next phase
With his Varanasi shooting reportedly complete, attention will naturally shift toward what comes next for Mahesh Babu.
But for audiences, the bigger question is no longer “When will Mahesh finish shooting?”
It is now:
“What has Rajamouli actually created after nearly two years of filming?”
The answer will only become clearer as the makers begin releasing more official material, including promotional content and eventually the theatrical trailer.
For now, Mahesh Babu's pack-up marks the end of one long chapter of Varanasi — while the most technically demanding phase of the project may still lie ahead.
Varanasi at a glance
- Director: SS Rajamouli
- Lead: Mahesh Babu
- Other key cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran
- Mahesh Babu shooting period: January 2025 – September 2026
- Approximate duration: 20 months
- Current status: Mahesh Babu's portions wrapped
- Remaining work: Shoot completion, editing, VFX and other post-production
- Target theatrical release: April 7, 2027
Reviewed by Jewellery Designs
on
September 23, 2026
Rating:
