Tollywood
SS Rajamouli's Varanasi To Be Shot In Antarctica? Mahesh Babu And Priyanka Chopra Jonas Hint At Massive Schedule For 1,300 Crore Epic
BY CHRISTA LINCY
SS Rajamouli’s highly anticipated globetrotting adventure, titled Varanasi, is making headlines for a potential cinematic milestone as it eyes the icy terrains of Antarctica for a major filming schedule. This massive update surfaced following a direct social media exchange between the film's lead stars, Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Replying to a congratulatory post from Mahesh Babu on X , Priyanka dropped a significant hint by writing, See you soon in Antarctica. This interaction has sparked immense excitement among fans, suggesting that the ₹1,300 crore magnum opus is set to become a rare Indian production to capture the untouched wilderness of the southernmost continent. Thank you my friend 🙏🏽 🏴☠️See you soon in Antarctica. ⭐️ @urstrulyMahesh https://t.co/HpBfRPbMEg— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) March 1, 2026 The interaction began when Mahesh Babu took to X to congratulate Priyanka Chopra Jonas on her performance in the recently released Hollywood action film The Bluff. Priyanka's response, where she thanked him and mentioned seeing him soon in Antarctica, has effectively confirmed the location for the next major schedule of the film. Director SS Rajamouli also joined the conversation, praising Priyanka's ferocity and vulnerability in her latest role, further cementing the association between the global star and his upcoming magnum opus. If the schedule proceeds as planned, Varanasi will join a legendary but tiny group of films that have actually captured footage on the frozen continent. While famous Antarctic movies like The Thing and Eight Below were actually shot in Canada and Norway, only a few narrative features have ever filmed on location in Antarctica. This exclusive list includes the 1980 Japanese disaster epic Virus, the 1983 classic Antarctica (Nankyoku Monogatari), and the 2016 French biopic The Odyssey (L’Odyssée). The record for the first fictional feature shot entirely on the continent belongs to the 2012 indie film South of Sanity.By taking a massive commercial production to this inhospitable terrain, SS Rajamouli is set to achieve a historic first for Indian cinema, capturing the raw, untouched landscape that very few filmmakers in history have ever seen through a lens (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Varanasi has been in active development for nearly three years and is being hailed as one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, with a reported budget of ₹1,300 crore. The project marks the first collaboration between SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu, and the addition of Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the female lead positions it as a truly international production. The film is described as a high-octane action-adventure that will span multiple continents, with the Antarctica schedule expected to feature some of the most technically challenging sequences ever filmed in Indian cinema. The details shared by multiple sources and the cast's own social media activity provide a clear look at the scale of the project. The film aims to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, utilizing the unique geography of Antarctica to deliver a spectacle that justifies its massive investment. Fans and industry analysts are closely monitoring these updates, as Varanasi continues to shape up as a landmark event in global cinema.