S.S. Rajamouli’s Epic “Varanasi” and Animated “Eternal War”: Scale, Format, and IMAX Return in Hyderabad

Director S.S. Rajamouli’s upcoming feature “Varanasi” is slated for an April 2027 release. The story spans “thousands of years,” moving from the historic city of Varanasi to remote locales such as Antarctica and culminating in an asteroid-deflection plot. Part of the film will be shot on 70 mm IMAX to amplify its visual scale.

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Concurrently, the “Baahubali” franchise is entering animation with “The Eternal War,” directed by Ishan Shukla. The film explores “the 14 realms of Indian mythology” and targets an international audience, using animation to achieve narrative breadth that live-action cannot easily provide. Rajamouli says the medium captures the “color” of Indian stories—both visual and emotional.

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• Major spectacle sequences for “Varanasi” are finished; smaller scenes are being shot with a target wrap in September–October.

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• Rajamouli presented “The Eternal War” at the Annecy Animation Festival work-in-progress panel in 2026.

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• “Varanasi” is set for April 2027; “The Eternal War” has no announced release date, while a new IMAX theater in Hyderabad will open in time for the film’s debut.

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Rajamouli selected IMAX early because the planned sequences “were best justified” in that format, needing only minor adjustments. His crew, used to CinemaScope, adapted anamorphic framing for both IMAX and CinemaScope. The 70 mm IMAX spectacle aims to give Telugu-speaking audiences—whom he calls “the biggest film buffs in the entire world”—world-class viewing in Hyderabad. The animated “Eternal War” is intended to show that India’s still-growing animation sector can deliver globally appealing stories with the right talent.

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Rajamouli said most of “Varanasi” filming is complete and the remaining scenes should wrap by early autumn. He praised Ishan Shukla’s understanding of Baahubali’s characters and said he will let the animation team take over the story. He also highlighted the cultural importance of a new IMAX venue in Hyderabad.

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• “What I can say is we have completed a major portion of the shoot, all the important big spectacle action sequences are done,” — S.S. Rajamouli, Director

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• “From the beginning, we knew the sequences that were conceived would be best justified in [the] Imax format – we didn’t change anything just for the format,” — S.S. Rajamouli, Director

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• “We have a whole world of ‘Baahubali’ that’s already been written, so we don’t need to dwell when we step into the world of ‘Baahubali,’ there’s a lot of work that’s already done,” — S.S. Rajamouli, Director

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• “it was high time we had Imax theaters in Hyderabad, because for me Hyderabad and the states of Telugu-speaking people Andhra and Telangana are the biggest film buffs in the entire world,” — S.S. Rajamouli, Director

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Rajamouli’s crew aims to finish shooting “Varanasi” by September–October, with post-production leading to the April 2027 release. “The Eternal War” remains in pipeline for a future theatrical debut, and Hyderabad’s new IMAX theater is slated to open alongside the film’s launch.

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