S.S. Rajamouli’s unveils Priyanka Chopra’s first look as ‘Mandakani’ in ‘Varanasi’.

Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli picked a perfect date to drop the posters featuring the actor. On Priyanka Chopra’s birthday 18 July, 2026, the director behind RRR and Bahubali finally pulled back the curtain on her character from his much-awaited next film, Varanasi- the look depict actor with fierce eyes, warrior energy, and an unapologetically wild aura, and fans calling Priyanka as return of the ‘jungli billi’ on the big screen.

On Saturday, Rajamouli shared two brand new posters featuring of actor as Mandakini, showing off both her graceful and fiery sides. The caption that came with the reveal was simple but loaded with meaning: "Grace when she smiles. Fire when she doesn't. Mandakini... Priyanka Chopra" It's the kind of line that tells you everything and nothing at once — exactly the vibe Rajamouli tends to go for when he's building an excitement for his films.

The two photos he put out couldn't be more different from each other, and that seems to be a point. In the first, Chopra is dressed in a black corset-style outfit with her hair pulled into a high, bun, wearing an intense expression against a warm, amber-lit backdrop that hints at Mandakini's fiercer side. Her piercing gaze, smoky eye makeup, and emerald statement earrings take the spotlight in the poster. In complete contrast to her intense first look, is the second one.

 The second poster shows a completely different mood — Priyanka in a white crop top, black cargo pants and a beige jacket draped over her shoulders, the actor is seen mid-air with her arms spread wide open, looking carefree and happy. It's a clever bit of visual storytelling: one frame tells power, the other tells joy, and together they're meant to capture a character who apparently swings between both without much warning.

Interestingly, not every frame is describing the same imagery. A few reports describe an entirely different first look — one on the ghats of Varanasi, with Priyanka in a traditional outfit and a calm, graceful vibe that still carries a sense of underlying strength. And an earlier report described her being introduced in a mustard saree with a pistol in hand, balanced on a cliff edge. It's possible these are separate looks released at different stages of the film, since Rajamouli has been rolling out glimpses of the film gradually over the past couple of years. Either way, the through line is consistent- Mandakini is a character with real range, someone who can be soft in one frame and fierce in the next.

For Priyanka, this marks new territory in more ways than one. She said on the Hey Jonas Podcast “I have been working on it about 14 months now, describing the film as an epic adventure around the world and in time.” The film is her first collaboration with Rajamouli, and it also brings her back to Indian cinema after a very long gap — her last Indian film was 2019 The Sky Is Pink, which she both starred in and produced. Coming off international work like Heads of Statealongside Idris Elba and John Cena, and a contribution to the Oscar-nominated short Anuja, this is a genuine homecoming, and a high-profile one at that.

She isn't the only character in the film. Varanasialso stars Mahesh Babu in the role of Rudhra, with Prithviraj Sukumaran playing the Kumbha. The project was originally known under the working title GlobeTrotterbefore its actual title was revealed at a massive fan event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, and the scale of that reveal alone gave a sense of just how big Rajamouli is aiming with this one. The story reportedly takes place over thousands of years and in locations around the Antarctica, Africa, and the city of Varanasi itself.

Production has been a long haul. Rajamouli said, “what I can say is we have completed a major portion of the shoot, all the important big spectacles action sequences are done. By October, we should be finishing the shooting.” As for when audiences will actually get to see the film, reports diverges slightly: some point to an April release next year, while others cite a slightly later window stretching into 2027.

Whatever the exact release date turns out to be, one thing is clear from the reaction online: Rajamouli has once again managed to turn a single photo drop into a spectacle event. The fan reaction on social media flooded with praise for Priyanka saying “Female lead antagonist side aha??, with another writing, “can’t believe I’ve been watching her films since I was a child, she’s still on top of her game.”

 Between the fierce corset look, the joyful shot, and the earlier saree-and-pistol reveal, the film marks Priyanka Chopra’s return to Indian cinema after eight years, adding so much excitement among her fans while they wait for Mandakini's full story to unfold on screen.