S. S. Rajamouli’s ambitious sci-fi epic Varanasi is already shaping up to be one of the biggest Indian films currently in production, but the massive scale of the project is now creating real-world complications behind the scenes. According to fresh reports coming out of Hyderabad, the makers of the film recently faced a major hurdle after city officials reportedly denied a request for hundreds of water tankers needed for underwater shooting sequences.
The film, which stars Mahesh Babu in the lead role, is currently shooting elaborate underwater scenes at Hyderabad Film City Studio in Gaganpahad. But while the production appears to be moving forward aggressively, the scale of the shoot has reportedly collided with Hyderabad’s ongoing summer water shortage situation. And honestly, the numbers involved are massive enough to instantly attract public attention.
According to reports from Telangana Today, representatives connected to one of the film’s production banners, Sri Durga Arts, approached the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board asking for around 150 water tankers carrying 10,000 litres each. The request was reportedly made to fill a pond-like shooting setup required for underwater scenes being filmed for the movie. The production team also allegedly requested purified water to maintain filming quality standards for the sequences.
The report claims the letter was addressed directly to HMWSSB Managing Director K Ashok Reddy, with the filmmakers even agreeing to pay all tanker transportation charges from the water supply point to the shooting location in Gaganpahad. However, despite the offer, officials reportedly refused the request because of the city’s rising water demand during the intense Telangana summer heatwave.
What makes the situation more complicated is that Hyderabad has already been facing pressure over water management this season. With temperatures climbing and residential demand increasing across the city, authorities appear unwilling to divert such a massive quantity of water toward a film production — no matter how high-profile the project may be. Reports suggest the rejection was communicated verbally to the team rather than through a formal written denial.
Even after the setback though, the production itself hasn’t stopped. Sources indicate that underwater filming for Varanasi is still underway and expected to continue through May, meaning the team is now scrambling to arrange water from alternate private sources. Considering the scale of Rajamouli’s productions, it’s unlikely the sequences themselves will be reduced or removed. Instead, the production will probably absorb the extra logistical costs to maintain the film’s visual ambition.
And from everything known so far, Varanasi definitely sounds like Rajamouli’s most ambitious project yet. The movie marks his first directorial venture after the global explosion of RRR, which turned him into one of the most internationally recognized Indian filmmakers in recent years. Naturally, expectations surrounding the next project are enormous, and the filmmaker appears determined to go even bigger this time.
The story reportedly follows Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, a time-travelling adventurer searching for an ancient artifact linked to the Ramayana era. The film blends mythology, science fiction, historical fantasy, and global adventure storytelling on a scale rarely attempted in Indian cinema. According to earlier reveals, the narrative stretches across India, Africa, Sri Lanka, Antarctica, and even scenes set thousands of years in the past during the Treta Yuga.
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the project is also the return of Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Indian cinema after nearly a decade away from mainstream Bollywood films. Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran is reportedly playing the film’s antagonist, adding another heavyweight performer to the already massive cast lineup.
Mahesh Babu himself added even more hype earlier after revealing during a U.S. interaction that he would not only play the lead adventurer Rudhra but also portray Lord Rama during flashback portions of the film. That revelation instantly sparked huge discussion online because fans began speculating about how Rajamouli plans to visually merge mythology and science fiction within the same narrative.
The sheer scale of Varanasi honestly feels closer to a global fantasy franchise than a conventional Indian blockbuster. Rajamouli already experimented with large-scale mythological emotion in films like Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, but Varanasi seems to push things into much more ambitious territory involving timelines, civilizations, and mythological lore.
Right now, the water tanker controversy is unlikely to slow audience excitement around the project, but it does offer a rare glimpse into just how gigantic and logistically demanding modern Indian mega-budget filmmaking has become. When a single schedule requires millions of litres of purified water for underwater shoots, you can already imagine the level of scale Rajamouli is aiming for on screen.
And if the filmmaker actually manages to pull off the visual scope being promised, Varanasi could easily become one of the most talked-about Indian cinematic events of the decade when it finally arrives in theaters in April 2027.
