Mandakini Arrives: Priyanka Chopra Stuns In Varanasi

Priyanka Chopra‘s first look as Mandakini from Varanasi has been released on her birthday giving fans a glimpse of her powerful new avatar.

The makers say Mandakini is a strong and emotional character who plays a key role between Mahesh Babu‘s Rudhra and Prithviraj Sukumaran‘s Kumbha, the film’s main villain.

Priyanka has been shooting for this film for nearly 14 months. She recently described Varanasi as a much grand adventure that travels across different time periods and continents.

She also revealed that the role includes several challenging action scenes. The film marks her return to Indian cinema after The Sky Is Pink and her first collaboration with Rajamouli.

Varanasi is scheduled for a massive worldwide release on April 7th 2027 for sure.

Grace when she smiles.
Fire when she doesn’t.

Mandakini… @PriyankaChopra in #Varanasi pic.twitter.com/4lYerYbm4Q

— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) July 18, 2026