After shooting across the African grasslands, SS Rajamouli is taking his globetrotting epic ‘Varanasi’ to a place very few have gone before – Antarctica. The filmmaker and his cast, comprising of Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj, head to the frozen subcontinent to shoot a portion of the film, which will also be a first for Indian cinema. The revelation came via Priyanka, who confirmed the online buzz in a social media exchange with her co-star Mahesh Babu.
Priyanka Chopra confirms Antarctica shoot
In a light-hearted exchange, Mahesh Babu praised Chopra’s performance in her Hollywood action film ‘The Bluff’. He posted a tweet that read, “#TheBluff is a a well mounted film with engaging action n emotions !!! @priyankachopra is in top form swashbuckling and ticking all the boxes with a packed performance… Sending all my love to the team for the amazing work.”Responding to the message, Chopra wrote, “Thank you my friend. See you soon in Antarctica.”The reply confirmed that team ‘Varanasi’ will officially be headed to the South Pole to shoot a segment. It is, however, unclear how long the team will have to brave sub-zero conditions and harsh weather to shoot on location, believed to be at the Ross Ice Shelf, featured in the film’s teaser trailer.
‘Varanasi’ to be filmed at Ross Ice Shelf
As per the trailer, the time-travelling globe-trotting adventure will take its leading stars under the ice shelf, looking for anancient civilisation, buried under the ice after an asteroid reportedly struck the location in 2027 CE. The film that blends mythology and science fiction will reportedly see the ice shelf and the lost civilisation play a major role in the narrative.
Why Rajamouli shot film in IMAX
Rajamouli previously revealed that part of the reason for shooting with IMAX cameras was to film the Antarctic landscapes. The team is expected to depart in the last week of February.
‘Varanasi’ only fifth film to be shot in Antarctica
As per reports, ‘Varanasi’ will now become the first Indian film to be shot in Antarctica. Only five films have been shot there. These include – ‘The Thing’, ‘Eight Below’, ‘Encounters at the End of the World’ and ‘Antarctica: A Year on Ice’.During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Chopra also revealed that 14 months of filming had already been completed, with six more months of filming still to go before production wraps. The film is slated for release in April 2027.
