When a few billboards in Varanasi carried the date April 7, 2027, it did not take long for audiences to guess that it was related to the release date of Varanasi. Hours after social media was abuzz with speculation, the Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas-starrer’s release date was made official. Director SS Rajamouli, along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran, took to their respective social media handles to announce the date.

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Netizens appreciate Rajamouli

Widely regarded as a master of film marketing, director Rajamouli has an uncanny knack for designing campaigns that create strategic buzz for his films. His approach includes high-stakes, innovative promotional tactics, and that’s exactly what he did for his upcoming film, Varanasi. Silent, cryptic hoardings placed at culturally significant locations like the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi, generated immense anticipation without the need for extensive marketing campaigns or large-scale announcements. Netizens have appreciated Rajamouli for his inventive approach to film publicity.

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Following the global success of RRR and Baahubali, Rajamouli is now targeting international audiences as well. While he generally treats film promotions as massive events, this time he is following an interesting yet unique strategy. He prompted international film trade circles to use digital posters carrying Varanasi’s release date to secure an optimal release window.

James Cameron wants to visit Varanasi sets

By announcing Varanasi’s release date well in advance, Rajamouli has sent a clear message to the trade. With the entire release week featuring holidays, the chosen date is his way of urging other filmmakers to make way. The Varanasi glimpse event, held a couple of months ago in Hyderabad, was a blockbuster. The ceremony, described as one of the largest in recent times, garnered significant attention from foreign media. Renowned filmmaker James Cameron recently evinced interest in visiting the film’s sets after connecting with Rajamouli.

Also Read: Priyanka Chopra Jonas Deep Dives Into a New ’Varanasi’ Shoot Schedule

As Rani Mukerji celebrates a significant milestone of 30 years in the film industry and the release of her latest film, Mardaani 3, the actress recently took a moment to talk about one of her most emotionally taxing roles. In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Rani opened up about the personal tragedy that drew her toward the 2023 film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, for which she recently won the National Award for Best Actress.

Rani revealed that when the script for the film first reached her in 2020, she was going through an incredibly difficult period in her personal life. She shared that she had lost her second child to a miscarriage. This personal grief became the main reason she felt such a deep, immediate connection to the story of Debika Chatterjee.

Speaking about that time, Rani said, “Woh jo kahaani thi woh mujhe bhi aise ek mod pe hua tha, matlab woh film mere paas aayi thi, jab maine mera dusra baccha kho diya tha. Toh yeh sense of loss tha mera bahut aur woh kahani sunke mai itna judd gayi aur maine bola ye kahaani mujhe batani hai.” (That story came to me at a time when I had lost my second child. So my sense of loss was huge, and hearing that film’s story, I got attached to it and wanted to let it be known to people).

The film, directed by Ashima Chibber, is based on the true story of an Indian mother fighting the Norwegian foster care system to regain custody of her children. Rani explained that she felt a responsibility to bring this story to an Indian audience, particularly to highlight the harsh realities that can exist behind the dream of settling abroad.

“Mujhe Hindustan ko yeh kahaani batani hai aur unko bataana hai ki humara jo obsession hai ki hum bahar jayein, hum wahan pe settle karenge, ye sacchai nahi hai, sacchai bahut hatke hai,” she stated. (I wanted to show this film to the people of India, where we are obsessed with moving to other countries and settling there. I wished to display the reality).

For Rani, the project was about more than just acting, it was about portraying the raw pain of separation. She concluded by saying, “Apne bacchon ke bina ek maa ka kya haal hota hai aur aapka baccha aapse leke koi chale jaye aapki aankhon ki saamne toh uss maa pe kya gujarti hai, bacchon pe kya gujarti hai woh dikhana tha.” (I wanted to show how a mother suffers when her child is taken away from her right in front of her eyes, and how the kids also feel it).

Also Read: Rani Mukerji opens up on why romancing Shah Rukh Khan feels special