"Felt like Mountain Dew ad photos."
The team of SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi gifted fans two unseen pictures of Mahesh Babu on his 51st birthday on August 9.
The images show the actor as Rudhra, the film’s protagonist, photographed in the breathtaking landscapes of Masai Mara in Africa.
The pictures were first shared on by Discussing Film before the official Varanasi handle and Mahesh himself posted them.
Sharing the images on social media, Mahesh tagged director SS Rajamouli and the film’s account with a brief and evocative caption.
He wrote: “A little more of Rudhra’s world.”
In the first image, Mahesh is seen dressed in a simple shirt and cargo pants, resting on top of a platform in the wilderness.
His boots and bag are kept beside him as he takes in the vast and stunning surroundings of the African landscape around him.
The second picture offers a striking close-up of Mahesh’s face as he gazes away from the camera into the distance.
Zebras and the sweeping fields of the Masai Mara are visible in the background, lending the image a cinematic and otherworldly quality.
Discussing Film also shared a quote from director SS Rajamouli that offered a deeper insight into the character of Rudhra:
“Rudhra was born to fulfil a purpose much larger than himself.
“He carries a destiny he did not ask for. He is witty, he is vulnerable, and he is fierce. That is what Mahesh brought to him.
“Anyone can play fierce. Very few can play fierce and fragile in the same breath.”
“These frames are from our Africa schedule, and the land gave us something no set could.
“Shooting around Kilimanjaro and in the Masai Mara, I was stunned.
“There were mornings I felt even the 1.43:1 IMAX frame could not hold what was in front of us.”
His words painted a picture of a production of extraordinary scale and ambition being crafted in some of the world’s most stunning locations.
Dedicated fans of Mahesh Babu embraced the birthday pictures with warmth and enthusiasm as soon as they appeared online. One fan wrote:
“He is giving me lord Vishnu vibes… What a calm face & overall aura.”
Many others flooded the comments sections with birthday wishes for the actor as he turned 51.
View this post on Instagram
However, the broader online reaction was considerably more mixed, with many users expressing disappointment at the nature of the release.
Several felt the pictures revealed far too little and offered almost nothing new or exciting beyond what had already been shared.
One social media user complained: “Not satisfied…expecting more.”
Another commented: “Felt like Mountain Dew ad photos. Waiting for a special update.”
Many users jokingly responded with the Mountain Dew tagline in Telugu, directly referencing Mahesh Babu’s well-known advertising campaigns for the brand.
One viewer also questioned the visual logic of the images, writing:
“Looks unnatural, why do they need to show the main character looking clean, perfectly shaved when he’s on an adventurous mission in the jungle.”
The criticism highlighted a tension between the film’s adventurous premise and the polished, advertisement-like quality of the photos.
Despite the mixed reactions, the pictures succeeded in reigniting widespread conversation about Varanasi.
Loading ...