- Prithviraj calls Rajamouli the hardest-working filmmaker he has worked with.
- One scene featuring Mahesh Babu took nearly 97 takes.
- Rajamouli reaches the set hours before everyone else.
- The actor says he completely trusts the director's vision.
- Varanasi is scheduled to release in April 2027.
Actor and filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran has shared his experience of working with director SS Rajamouli on the upcoming film Varanasi. The highly anticipated action-adventure stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj, who plays the film's main antagonist.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Prithviraj praised Rajamouli's dedication to filmmaking. He said the director's passion and energy remain the same despite being one of India's most successful filmmakers.
According to Prithviraj, Rajamouli works like someone making his very first movie.
“You look at Rajamouli behind cameras or monitors or with the actors. For someone who doesn’t know him, it will seem like he is a new director who had to wait 20, 30 years to make his first film and has finally got the opportunity to make the film he really wanted to make. That’s the vibe he gives you. That’s all there is to learn from him.”
The actor also described Rajamouli as the hardest-working director he has ever worked with. He said the filmmaker is always the first person to arrive on set and the last one to leave.
“I have not worked with a harder-working filmmaker. When he says 7 am first shot, by the time I, Mahesh and Priyanka reach there, he would have set up the jimmy jib, done rehearsals, corrected everything and he would be waiting for the actors. And I am like, ‘What time did you come?’ And he will be like, ‘I was here at 5:15.’ He will be the last one to leave. He hardly sits down when our shots are going on. Our lunch breaks are 20 minutes. He is just incredible.”
Prithviraj also recalled one moment during the film's narration that stayed with him. He asked Rajamouli how he planned to shoot one of the movie's biggest sequences. Instead of pretending to have all the answers, the director gave an honest response.
“The way he approaches his craft, the way he approaches the opportunities that have been presented in front of him, everything you need to learn is right there. It is a privilege to watch someone who has achieved so much, is a pathbreaker, work so closely. The greatest thing is, when he first narrated the script of Varanasi to me, there is a particular sequence and I asked him how are you going to shoot this. And he was like, ‘I don’t know but we will figure it out.’ And when he shot it, he shot it incredibly well..”
The actor admitted that there are times when his own instincts differ from Rajamouli's direction. However, he has learned that trusting the filmmaker always leads to the best result.
“Sometimes the actor in me is at war with what he wants me to do and I also know that my job is to deliver what he wants me to deliver. But later on, when you see the footage, you think this is why he wanted me to do that.”
He added that Rajamouli never loses sight of the bigger picture, even while paying close attention to every scene.
“It is very tough to never lose sight of the big picture when you are making a film like Varanasi. I haven’t encountered this scale before and Rajamouli sir says neither have I. To always be in touch with the bigger picture of the whole thing and then micromanage each particular moment of that film takes a lot of skill and dedication to the craft.”
Prithviraj also appreciated Rajamouli's willingness to work closely with actors throughout the filmmaking process.
“I figured out the best way for me is to trust his judgement and do it the way he is asking me to. Then I go and ask him. He will sit you down and explain, this is how it is, and if you want to do it another way we will do a take. He lets the actor be such a big part of the process.”
The actor even described Rajamouli as one of the finest directors he has worked with when it comes to performances.
“Aside from the short time when I was directed by Mr Mohanlal, Rajamouli is the best actor who has directed me. He will act the scene he wants you to do for you to judge the pitch, tonality he wants in the scene.”
Prithviraj also shared one surprising story from the Varanasi set. He revealed that Rajamouli once filmed nearly 97 takes of a single scene involving him and Mahesh Babu.
“This is not an exaggeration. A particular shot in the film, Mahesh and I started shooting in the morning. I don’t know whether it was take 94 or 97. We started that one shot in the morning. We came for lunch break and by the time the second morsel of food was in the mouth, the shot was ready and we went back and started again. At 6:30 or 7, we were still trying and then finally he was like, pack-up, we will do this tomorrow morning. It actually happened. It is a real day of shoot.”
Varanasi marks SS Rajamouli's first collaboration with Mahesh Babu. The film also stars Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. It is currently in production and is scheduled for a theatrical release in April 2027.
