A photo claiming to show Mahesh Babu as Lord Ram from the sets of Varanasi has taken social media by storm, and nobody can quite agree on whether it's real or not.

The image shows the 50-year-old star in yellow-hued attire, seemingly from Lord Ram's vanvaas era, with what looks like a film crew visible in the background. 

No one from the production has confirmed or denied its authenticity, but that hasn't stopped it from going absolutely viral.

Social media took no time to react as netizens started a wave of chatter and speculation.

Some people loved it, "OMFG This is my Ram He looks great" and "He looks like the character" were among the warmer reactions. Others were more measured, "Yes, he looks amazing; can't say about his acting but he suits the character. Idk why this looks like an AI image tho." 

And then there were the sceptics, "These leaks are on purpose. Hollywood started doing it, and now everyone else just follows" and simply, "PR."

Comparisons with Ranbir Kapoor's look in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana have also started doing the rounds.

 One comment reads, "Namit and Ranbir better be prepared. Kahi SSR 10 minute mein puri 'Ramayana' movie ko overshadow na kar de, as he did with teaser."

Varanasi also stars Priyanka Chopra, marking her return to Indian cinema, and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist. 

Theories are floating around that Prithviraj might be playing a version of Kumbhakarna, though again, nothing confirmed. The film is set for a 2027 release.