Global star makes Telugu debut in epic action-adventure, sets condition before signing on the dotted line
Priyanka Chopra is making her long-awaited return to Indian cinema with SS Rajamouli’s ambitious epic Varanasi, and she wasn’t shy about laying down terms. In a candid interview with Variety, the actor revealed she gave the acclaimed director an “ultimatum” before committing to the project.
“I was like, ‘Listen, I’m coming back to Indian movies. I have to do a dance song. You have to make me dance,'” Priyanka said, laughing. The choreography, she promises, is “so intricate” though that sequence remains unshot.
Varanasi marks her Telugu debut alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Priyanka plays Mandakini in a sprawling narrative that traverses Antarctica, Kenya, Varanasi, and multiple historical eras from 512 CE to the mythical Threthayuga. “The worlds that he creates are so larger than life,” she gushed about Rajamouli’s vision.
Set for theatrical release on April 7, 2027, the film’s teaser unveiled before 50,000 fans in Hyderabad last November offered a stunning glimpse of Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, charging through Varanasi on a bull, trident in hand.
This is Priyanka’s first Indian film since 2019.
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