Hyderabad (PTI): Filmmaker S S Rajamouli on Saturday unveiled the title of his next mega project "Varanasi" at a grand fan event held at Ramoji Film City here in the presence of its stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The movie marks the acclaimed director's first collaboration with Telugu superstar Babu. Priyanka also returns to Indian cinema after 2021's "The Sky Is Pink".
Babu said it was a dream project and the whole country will be proud of the movie where he plays the protagonist Rudra.
Sukumaran, who plays the antagonist Kumbha in the movie, said it was the most emotionally and physically demanding role of his career. The actor said he was stunned by Rajamouli's narration.
"The scale, the vision, the ambition, everything was India's greatest contemporary mainstream filmmaker pushing his own limits into never-before territory. But what truly took my breath away was the audacity of the imagination," Sukumaran said.
The much-anticipated movie will make its debut in theatres worldwide in January 2027 coinciding with the festival of Sankranti.
Billed as “India’s biggest-ever reveal”, the event, titled "Globe Trotter" drew a crowd of around 50,000 fans, who witnessed a specially designed live spectacle culminating in the title reveal.
A teaser for "Varanasi" was planned to be showcased on a massive 130 ft x 100 ft screen, but a technical glitch initially prevented the screening. After a brief delay, the clip was finally unveiled to the audience.
The event also unveiled the first-look posters of Prithviraj Sukumaran as the fierce antagonist Kumbha and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the gun toting avatar as Mandakini.
Described as a “once-in-a-generation spectacle”, the event marked one of the largest live fan gatherings for a film announcement in the country.
"Varanasi" will feature music by MM Keeravani, who won an Oscar for Rajamouli's previous film "RRR".
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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
