Hyderabad: A leaked image allegedly showing superstar Mahesh Babu as Lord Ram from SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi has gone viral on social media, creating a frenzy among fans while reportedly worrying the makers.
The image appears to be an on-location still from the film’s set, making it difficult for many to dismiss it as AI-generated or a deepfake. The production team had reportedly taken extensive measures to keep Mahesh’s look under wraps, making this leak one of the biggest setbacks for the ambitious project.
While previous visuals from the film have also surfaced online, reports claim this leak is particularly damaging as it reveals one of the film’s most closely guarded looks. The makers are reportedly trying to remove the image from social media.
The viral still shows Mahesh dressed in saffron robes, holding a bow and sporting a beard as Lord Ram. The sequence is believed to have been filmed in Varanasi and forms part of an elaborate Ramayana episode.
The leak has gained further attention because Rajamouli had earlier praised the sequence during promotions in France. He revealed that seeing Mahesh in the Ram avatar gave him “literal goosebumps” and described him as having “Krishna’s charm and Rama’s calm.” The director also shared that he had briefly kept Mahesh’s look as his phone wallpaper before deleting it, fearing it might leak.
Reports suggest the Ramayana segment runs for around 20–30 minutes and has been shot in IMAX.
Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is currently in production and is expected to release in April 2027.
