Rajamouli made a time-traveling asteroid movie set in Varanasi with Mahesh Babu as RAMA. Buckle up.
Follows Rudhra's perilous adventures as ancient Varanasi stands on the brink of catastrophe from a looming asteroid in 2027 CE, unfolding across multiple timelines and distant continents.
Direction
Rajamouli's first sci-fi; he apparently studied asteroid physics for two years.
Practical Effects
Built functional underwater Varanasi sets — not CGI, actual submerged city.
Cinematography
Antarctica-to-Kenya-to-Ganges in one continuous 18-minute sequence.
Director
S. S. Rajamouli
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mahesh Babu trained in Kalaripayattu and underwater breath-holding for eight months; longest single take is six minutes of him drowning-then-resurrecting.
The film sparked debate about 'disaster tourism' depictions of Varanasi floods; Rajamouli donated profits to actual Ganga cleanup initiatives ahead of release.
IN
