Varanasi director SS Rajamouli recalls James Cameron's advice on filmmaking

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli opened up about the advice he received from Avatar director James Cameron. Slated for a 2027 release, the filmmaker's upcoming film Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in lead roles.

Director SS Rajamouli recently described a conversation with director James Cameron that stood out during preparations for his next venture, Varanasi. As anticipation for the film gains momentum, Rajamouli reflected on the significance of Cameron’s words in a recent interview.

In an interview shared by the makers online, SS Rajamouli said, "I saw James Cameron talking about RRR, and it made me happy once more. We had a long conversation about RRR, and the words I remember him saying were 'You continue doing the films the way you do'," Rajamouli shared.

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Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, who had joined the filmmaker for the interview, also addressed the atmosphere on set and shared their experience of filming the much-anticipated project.

Priyanka described her enthusiasm for this new role, which would mark her return to Indian cinema after six years. The actor said, "So, I haven't done an Indian film in like six years. When he called me, and he was like, 'Oh, you know, this female character's really cool, and you have to do it and whatever.' I was like, 'I have one request, will you make me dance? Please, because I haven't danced for so long'."

She then said, "Whoa, I should not have asked, because we be dancing. Oh my gosh, there's a lot. And poor Mahesh was like, 'It's because of you. Because of you, I have to do it too."