And it’s in one of the most expensive Indian movies of all time.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini in a character poster for SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi.
Priyanka Chopra/Instagram
After a six-year absence from Indian films, Priyanka Chopra Jonas will return to lead roles in her home industry with director S.S. Rajamouli’s action-adventure film Varanasi.
The film was announced at a launch event in Hyderabad on November 15, where the actress appeared alongside Telugu star Mahesh Babu and Malayalam film veteran Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The project marks Rajamouli’s first directorial effort since RRR, which won an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ and grossed $166 million worldwide. Varanasi has an estimated production budget between ₹1,000 crore and ₹1,300 crore (approx. $112 million-$14.6 million), positioning it among the most expensive Indian film productions to date.
The Role and Production Scale
Chopra Jonas plays a character named Mandakini in the film, and the first-look poster shows her in a yellow saree holding a pistol, set against an action backdrop. The film is described as a globetrotting action adventure with comparisons drawn to the Indiana Jones franchise, though maintaining Indian cultural elements.
The film’s extended production timeline — announcement in 2024 for a 2027 release — suggests an ambitious scope.
First look at Varanasi directed by S.S. Rajamouli.
Discussing Film/Twitter
Rajamouli released several visual teasers on social media following the project launch announcement, which indicate grandiose levels of visual effects and post production, similar to his previous films Baahubali and RRR.
The film is scheduled for release in 2027 in both standard and IMAX formats, giving the production team a lengthy post-production timeline.
Six Years Since The Sky Is Pink
Chopra Jonas last appeared in an Indian film in 2019 with The Sky Is Pink, a biographical drama directed by Shonali Bose. Chopra Jonas both starred in and produced the film through Purple Pebble Pictures.
The Sky Is Pink premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and became the first Hindi film promoted on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Chopra Jonas filmed her scenes until four days before her December 2018 wedding to Nick Jonas.
Following that project, Chopra Jonas shifted her focus entirely to international work and did not sign another Indian film for six years, until now.
The Hollywood Chapter
During her absence from Indian cinema, Chopra Jonas built a substantial Hollywood resume. She starred in Amazon Prime Video’s Citadel in 2023, a series with a $300 million production budget. The show marked the first time she received equal pay with her male co-star Richard Madden, a development she has discussed publicly in relation to pay equity issues.
Her film work included The White Tiger (2021), which received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and The Matrix Resurrections (2021), where she played Sati in the franchise’s fourth installment. She also appeared in romantic comedies Love Again and Isn’t It Romantic, both of which were poorly received.
Her breakthrough into American television came with Quantico in 2015, where she became the first South Asian actress to headline an American network drama series on ABC. The show ran three seasons and earned her two People’s Choice Awards. However, Chopra Jonas later revealed that her move to America was partly motivated by professional disagreements in Bollywood, stating she “had people not casting me” and was “tired of the politics.”
Industry Context
The announcement comes at a time when Indian cinema is pursuing larger international audiences with increased budgets and global marketing strategies. Films like Baahubali, RRR, and Pathaan have demonstrated international box office potential, particularly in North America and the Middle East.
Chopra Jonas’s casting represents a strategic choice: she brings international recognition while maintaining her Indian film background. However, her six-year absence means she’s returning to an industry that has evolved significantly, with new stars having emerged and audience preferences shifting toward different genres and storytelling approaches.
Prithviraj Sukumaran, who plays the antagonist Kumbha, described the project at the launch as Rajamouli “taking Indian cinema to the world, this time bigger, hopefully better and definitely more audacious than ever before.”
Whether Varanasi will match RRR’s success remains to be seen, but the combination of Rajamouli’s direction, a substantial budget, and a cast mixing Indian and international appeal suggests the production is positioning itself for both domestic and global markets.
For Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the film represents a calculated return to her home industry after establishing herself internationally, a move that could either cement her dual-market appeal or prove a challenging re-entry after a lengthy absence.
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