S.S. Rajamouli, celebrated as the leading director in Indian cinema, has expanded his global recognition following the success of his film RRR. His new project, Varanasi, due for release worldwide in April 2027, is drawing inspiration from invaluable guidance provided by James Cameron, renowned for his work on Avatar. Rajamouli credits Cameron’s advice for strengthening his resolve to pursue innovative visual storytelling techniques, particularly through the use of IMAX technology.
Rajamouli recalled a meaningful conversation with Cameron during the Oscar season for RRR, where Cameron encouraged him to continue making films in his distinctive style. The Indian director emphasized how much Cameron’s words motivated him to push the boundaries of cinematic visuals.
“I have seen his clips talking about RRR again, and it made me happy once again. We had a long conversation on RRR, and the words that I remember most is like ‘You continue doing the films the way you do.’ That’s the one thing I remember from him. It’s a great compliment. I thank him again for that. I’m going in my own way about getting visuals on screen, IMAX being one of them.” – S.S. Rajamouli
Embracing IMAX for a Grand Cinematic Experience
The scale of Varanasi demanded new approaches to capturing its vast and intricate visuals. Early in the script development, Rajamouli and his team realized that traditional filmmaking technologies were insufficient for the grandeur they envisioned. As a result, they opted to shoot the film using the expansive 1:1.4 IMAX screen ratio, larger than the usual 1:1.9 ratio, to fully display the film’s immense landscapes and action sequences.
“Once we started writing the script as the details started emerging, we realized we needed something bigger to encompass these visuals apart from all the existing technologies that we used before. Obviously, the first thing that came to our mind was IMAX. Not the 1:1.9, we wanted one to 1:1.4, the big 3:4 large screen. That is because, as shown in the glimpse, the worlds are huge. Let it be Antarctica, let it be Africa, on top of that. Let it be the Rama episode from the Ramayana where you see the Jains who are 125 feet tall. To encompass all these things, to do justice for them, we needed IMAX.” – S.S. Rajamouli
The visuals described include vast locations such as Antarctica and Africa alongside mythological elements like the Rama episode from the Ramayana featuring giants known as the Jains. These enormous scenes required a uniquely large viewing format to do justice to their magnitude.
Varanasi: A Global Indian Cinematic Event
Varanasi is set to be a pan-global, action-packed adventure with a story spanning multiple times and places. The film marks Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s return to Indian cinema after focusing largely on Hollywood projects for the past decade. She stars alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran, two other major figures in Indian cinema.
The film is named after the city of Varanasi, considered one of India’s spiritual epicenters. With a record budget and production scale, it stands among the most expensive films produced in India and is one of the few designed with IMAX format screens in mind. Rajamouli premiered a first look to an audience of over 40,000 fans on an enormous 100 by 132-foot screen, showcasing the spectacular visuals tailored for IMAX theaters.
Prithviraj Sukumaran highlighted the current lack of IMAX screens in India capable of projecting the film’s unique 1.43:1 ratio, expressing hope for infrastructure developments by the film’s release.
The Significance of Rajamouli and Cameron’s Collaboration
The mutual respect and shared vision between Rajamouli and James Cameron reflect their collaboration’s significance in advancing film technology and storytelling. Cameron’s encouragement has had a lasting impact on Rajamouli’s approach, motivating him to produce grand-scale cinematic experiences that resonate on an international level.
With its wide scope, innovative visual techniques, and an impressive cast, Varanasi exemplifies Rajamouli’s ambition to elevate Indian cinema’s global footprint. It promises to deliver an immersive experience that leverages IMAX technology to its fullest, inviting audiences worldwide to witness breathtaking narratives on the largest screens available.
Varanasi is scheduled for release in global theaters on April 7, 2027, setting the stage for what could become one of India’s most unforgettable film events.
