Director S.S. Rajamouli Built and Buried a Real Ancient City for His Next Epic Film Varanasi
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Director S.S. Rajamouli constructed a massive, full-scale replica of an ancient city in Hyderabad for his new movie Varanasi, going so far as to physically bury and unearth a real temple for different timelines.
Director S.S. Rajamouli is taking practical set design to a staggering new level for his upcoming film Varanasi. Reporting from a recent set visit by Polygon, the production has constructed a massive replica of the holy Indian city right in the middle of downtown Hyderabad. Spanning an entire city block, the location features detailed shrines, food stands, and a full-sized replica of the sinking Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir. Instead of relying purely on green screens or digital environments, the production physically buried the massive temple structure underground to film present-day sequences, and they plan to lift the entire building out of the earth when shooting timelines set in 512 CE.
Co-starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini, the film jumps across vast stretches of time, moving from ancient epochs like 7200 BCE up to the present day. While Chopra Jonas clarifies that the project is not a conventional sci-fi time-travel story with gadgets, the narrative spans multiple worlds and realms that characters navigate. For modern entertainment fans accustomed to Hollywood blockbusters relying heavily on digital effects, this level of physical commitment offers a refreshing shift in scale and ambition.
For communities invested in sprawling visual storytelling, whether in massive open-world game design or blockbuster cinema, practical ambition like this always turns heads. Rajamouli proved his knack for high-octane spectacle with RRR, and Varanasi is shaping up to push those boundaries even further. You can read the full, original report over at Polygon to see all the exclusive set photos.
Tags: Movies, Entertainment, Film Production, Polygon, S.S. Rajamouli
Original article: Polygon