Social media was buzzing this weekend after a poster claiming to show Mahesh Babu as Lord Rama in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi started circulating online. The image first shared by a popular entertainment handle quickly grabbed attention and left fans both excited and confused.
According to the viral post the poster was spotted on a digital hoarding by Mythri Cinemas in Guntur. It showed Mahesh Babu’s outline standing on a cliff, dressed in saffron clothes, holding a bow, with a arrow holder on his back and a rudraksh mala in his hand. The powerful stance and divine styling made fans believe that this could be his look from a flashback sequence set in the Treta Yuga.
However there has been no official confirmation from the makers of Varanasi. The team has not revealed Mahesh Babu’s look as Lord Rama yet. Many social media users pointed out that it would be unusual for such a big reveal to happen without a proper announcement. Some even said the poster looked fan made or AI-generated.
Despite the doubts the image sparked major fan reactions. “If this is really from Rajamouli’s vision, the scale will be massive” one user wrote. Another commented, “If this is real, can Ranbir Kapoor match up?” The comparison started because Ranbir Kapoor is also playing Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. His first look has also not been officially released yet. SS Rajamouli had earlier confirmed that part of Varanasi takes place in the Treta Yuga, with Mahesh Babu appearing as Lord Rama in a brief but important flashback.
The title and first glimpse of Varanasi were revealed in November 2025 at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. The grand launch event increased curiosity around the project which is being described as one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. Along with Mahesh Babu the film stars Priyanka Chopra marking her return to Indian cinema and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist.
Varanasi is scheduled to release in April 2027 while Ramayana Part One starring Ranbir Kapoor, is expected to hit theatres later this year. With both actors set to portray Lord Rama on the big screen fans are already picking sides.
For now the viral poster remains unverified. Whether it is real or just fan art, one thing is clear, the excitement around Varanasi is only growing stronger.