S.S. Rajamouli Might Have To Change The Title Of 'Varanasi', Controversy Broke Post The Launch Event

S.S. Rajamouli left the cinephiles gasping for breath with the teaser of his upcoming film, Varanasi, which features Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles. The time-travel-themed teaser left people stuck to the screens, wondering what the plot of the movie could be, as it showed things from different portions of the world, be it a Ramayana-inspired sequence, Africa or Antarctica and whatnot!

S.S. Rajamouli might have to change the title of his film, as a title rights controversy breaks

After the launch of the teaser in a larger-than-life event, S.S. Rajamouli sparked a controversy with his comments on god. And now, he is in another controversy, which might lead him to change his movie's title, yet again. For the unversed, the name of this movie was initially selected as SSMB29, which was later changed to Varanasi.

If the reports are to be believed, the production company, Rama Bramha Hanuma Creations, registered the title Vaaranasi with the Telugu Film Producers' Council back in 2023. As per the registered documents, the production company registered the title, and it was renewed from June 2025 to July 2026. Despite that, S.S. Rajamouli and his team took the title 'Varanasi', although it was spelt differently during the grand launch event of the movie, held on November 15, 2025, at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.

It's not clarified if Rama Bramha Hanuma Creations will take legal action or negotiate with S.S. Rajamouli. Well, with the fact that the dispute has been sparked, one thing is assured: it would be challenging for Mahesh Babu's team to change the title if required, owing to the fact that the announcement has already been made and the promotions have begun with the same name.

S.S. Rajamouli sparked a controversy earlier with his remarks about God

During the launch event, S.S. Rajamouli already sparked a controversy with his remarks about God. He expressed his anger over the leaked teaser of the upcoming movie. He further said that he doesn't believe in God, even though his father says that Lord Hanumana is behind him and taking care of him. He further added that he gets angry with the fact that his wife is also a devotee of Lord Hanumana, and she conversed with the Lord as if he were her friend.

S.S. Rajamouli's comments didn't sit well with several people, and even a complaint has been lodged against him by Vanarasena and Gow Rakshak Sangh, who accused him the director of intentionally hurting the Hindu sentiments and provoking religious hatred along with insulting the Hindu Gods. S.S. Rajamouli said:

"This is an emotional moment for me. I don't believe in God. My dad came and said Lord Hanuman is behind me and is guiding me. Is this how he takes care – thinking of this, I'm angry. My wife is also fond of Lord Hanuman. She behaves as if he were her friend and converses with him. I got angry at her as well."

More about Varanasi

The movie, Varanasi, reportedly has a budget of Rs. 1100 crore, and features Mahesh Babu in the lead role. While people have been wondering if the movie was connected to Ramayana, which was later confirmed by Rajamouli, who said that a sequence was made with the inspiration of the Hindu epic, which took a total of 60 days. Varanasi will be the second IMAX movie to be released in India, which will be in the theatres in 2027.

What do you think about S.S. Rajamouli facing back-to-back controversies following the launch of his movie, Varanasi's teaser?

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