Fresh details about S. S. Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi are starting to change how the project is being seen, with a newly surfaced synopsis hinting at a more layered story than earlier expected.

The film, starring Mahesh Babu, was first teased in late 2025. At that time, it looked like a grand time-travel action story. 

Now, a newly surfaced synopsis, linked to visual effects studio Cinesite, suggests something deeper and slightly darker.

It reads: “A Shiva devotee embarks on a perilous quest across time to uncover a lost cosmic artifact of immense power… the very force that set him on this path is a calculating mastermind with a vision of absolute global domination. Forever. Unveiled.”

Going by this, Mahesh Babu’s character Rudhra may not just be a hero on a mission. Reports suggest he is sent by Kumbha, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, who could turn out to be the real villain.

Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays Mandakini, recently described the film’s timeline. “It’s not like you’re sitting in a machine… it’s not Back to the Future. But we do go from 7,200 BCE to 2027… So it is a time-travel movie.”

The story seems to move across centuries, mixing myth and future. There are also hints that Mahesh Babu will appear as Lord Rama in one part, tying the film to the Ramayana.

Rajamouli has said the film takes inspiration from Indian epics, and includes a large sequence connecting multiple moments from the Ramayana.

Varanasi is still being filmed and is expected to release on April 7, 2027.