When Silence Spoke Louder Than Thunder: Movie Varanasi Locks April 7, 2027

There are announcements that arrive with drumrolls. And then there are announcements that arrive like destiny—quiet, inevitable, and impossible to ignore.

On an ordinary day that didn’t feel ordinary for long, filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli did what only he can do. No stage. No microphone. No grand speech. Just one poster. One date. And suddenly, the world was listening.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

April 7, 2027.

That’s when Varanasi arrives in theatres worldwide.

The reveal was so subtle that many missed it at first. A poster quietly surfaced. Hoardings appeared in parts of Varanasi city. No explanation followed. And then—like ripples turning into waves—social media exploded. Fans connected the dots. Theories flew. Old teasers resurfaced. Within minutes, the silence became thunder.

Image Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

This is Rajamouli’s cinema even before the cinema begins.

Varanasi is not just another film announcement. It feels like the opening line of a myth being retold for a new century.

At the center of this epic stands Mahesh Babu, in his most transformative role yet—as Rudhra, a fierce Shiva devotee, a warrior scarred by time, carrying faith like a weapon and rage like a destiny. The first glimpse promised a man who doesn’t merely walk through history but tears through it. Blood-soaked. Barefoot. Eyes burning with purpose.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

Opposite him is Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini, bringing with her a global presence and emotional gravity that bridges worlds. And facing them is Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha, a villain crafted not just to oppose, but to haunt. The kind of antagonist whose shadow lingers long after the screen goes dark.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

Shot on an unprecedented scale, Varanasi travels far beyond the familiar—from the frozen silence of Antarctica to the raw heat of Africa, finally returning to the ancient, breathing soul of its titular city. It becomes the first Indian film ever shot in Antarctica, and the first Indian film made for IMAX, pushing Indian cinema into terrains—both geographical and imaginative—it has never explored before.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

With a reported budget of $100 million and music by Oscar-winner M.M. Keeravani, the film blends action, science fiction, mythology, time travel, and cosmic artifacts into a story that spans thousands of years. One of its most powerful sequences draws inspiration from the Ramayana, echoing the spirit of Rama and the timeless struggle between dharma and destruction.

Those who have seen the intro teaser speak of visuals that stun into silence—an experience that promises to stretch the limits of Indian cinema’s visual language.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

Varanasi post production team: – Srinivas Mohan – VFX supervisor. – P S Vinodh – Dop . – Mohan – Production designer . – ⁠M M Keeravaani – Music composer. – ⁠Rama – Costume designer. – Deepak – Animation supervisor. – ⁠Pratheek – concept design and development. – Thammi Raju – Editor.

The release date itself feels symbolic. April 7, 2027, falls during Ugadi and Gudi Padwa, flows into a long festive window with Rama Navami and Ambedkar Jayanti, and lands perfectly for a global theatrical run. It’s a date chosen with care, foresight, and faith in the big-screen experience.

After RRR—a film that roared across borders, won an Oscar, and rewrote global perceptions of Indian cinema—expectations are naturally sky-high. But Varanasi doesn’t seem interested in chasing RRR. It wants to walk its own path. Slower. Deeper. Louder in impact.

Poster Courtesy : SS Raja Mouli Film

What makes this moment special isn’t just the scale, the stars, or the spectacle. It’s the confidence. The belief that one image and one date are enough. That storytelling can begin long before the first frame rolls.

From local legends to global screens, Varanasi isn’t arriving quietly anymore.

The journey begins.

LOCK THE DATE: APRIL 7, 2027.

When Courage Was Just 21: Movie Ikkis and the Boy Who Became Immortal

Some stories don’t announce themselves with noise. They arrive quietly, sit beside you, and by the time the final frame fades, they’ve wrapped themselves around your heart.

Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis is one such film.

Set against the thunderous backdrop of the 1971 Indo–Pak war, Ikkis doesn’t chase spectacle for the sake of it. Instead, it gently peels back the uniform to reveal the boy beneath—the son, the dreamer, the soldier who was only 21 years old when courage asked everything of him.

This is the story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee. But more than that, it is a story of legacy—of how bravery outlives the body, and how love survives even the loudest wars.

A War Film That Breathes Like a Memory

From its opening moments, Ikkis chooses patience over pomp. The film allows silence to speak, glances to linger, and emotions to settle before marching forward.

The nation is at war, yes—but the film is deeply invested in the people living through it.

The narrative unfolds in layers.

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

One layer places us in the middle of battle, alongside young Arun—played with striking sincerity by Agastya Nanda—as tanks roar and history tightens its grip. Another layer jumps three decades ahead, where an ageing father, portrayed by Dharmendra, carries the weight of pride and loss in equal measure. Between these timelines lie fragments of youth—training days, quiet romance, laughter, ambition, and the thrill of wearing the uniform for the first time.

It’s a structure that mirrors memory itself—imperfect, emotional, and deeply human.

Emotion Over Explosion, Soul Over Spectacle

Action in Ikkis is used with purpose. Every gunshot, every explosion serves the story—not the other way around. The sound design pulls you into the battlefield without overwhelming the emotion, while the background score and retro melodies feel like echoes from another time.

The dialogues avoid chest-thumping rhetoric. They are simple, honest, and quietly powerful—words spoken by people who know the cost of war.

This is not a film that glorifies conflict. It honours it. And more importantly, it mourns it.

Performances That Stay Long After the Credits Roll

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

Dharmendra, in what feels like a farewell gift to cinema, is nothing short of unforgettable. He doesn’t perform grief—he inhabits it. His eyes tell stories that dialogues don’t need to explain. In moments where he clutches a photograph, recites a Punjabi poem, or simply embraces another soldier, the theatre falls silent. These are the scenes that stay with you on the drive home.

Agastya Nanda, stepping into the shoes of a national hero for his debut, shows remarkable restraint and intensity. There’s a quiet fire in his performance—a boyish excitement when he first meets his tank, and steely resolve when duty calls. He doesn’t play Arun as a myth, but as a living, breathing young man who chose courage even when fear stood right in front of him.

Jaideep Ahlawat anchors the film with warmth and authority, while Simar Bhatia adds grace and emotional balance, even when the romantic arc could have been more deeply etched.

A Different Kind of Sriram Raghavan Film

Known for thrillers sharp as blades, Sriram Raghavan reveals a softer, more contemplative side here. Ikkis is reflective, elegant, and emotionally rich. His portrayal of war feels almost poetic—reminiscent of old Commando comics, yet grounded in reality.

Image Courtesy : Maddock Films

The film may slow down in parts, especially in the second half, but that’s also where it deepens. It dares to sit with emotion, to let pain breathe, and to remind us that real heroism is often quiet.

Why Ikkis Matters

At its heart, Ikkis asks a simple but profound question: What does it mean to be brave?

As Uri actor Vicky Kaushal aptly reflects, bravery isn’t measured by age. Legends don’t wait to grow old. Sometimes, they rise at 21—and become eternal.

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

By the time the final scene unfolds, tears come not because the film demands them, but because it earns them.

Final Verdict

Ikkis is not loud. It is not flashy. And that is precisely why it works.

It is a war film with a soul, a tribute wrapped in tenderness, and a reminder that courage, once given, never truly dies.
This New Year, don’t just watch a film. Witness a legacy.

Highly Recommended.

Released On : 1st January 2026

Rating :   4/5

Battle Of Galwan Teaser Out Now! Raw Frames, Powerful emotions. Most appealing teaser of the 2025 year-end!

The film is inspired by the India–China clash of 2020, and the teaser smartly keeps things focussed along with raw rage and a do-or-die battle. The film portrays real-life Indian Army Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu leading Indian troops in brutal hand-to-hand combat against intruding Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control, where 20 soldiers lost their lives.

The Battle of Galwan, which was fought between 200 Indian soldiers who defended their LoC against 1200 Chinese soldiers, is a story of bravery and Indomitable spirit.

To begin with, the story itself is overwhelmingly powerful. In the Galwan Valley, the Indian Army’s Bihar Regiment fought the Chinese Army in brutal hand-to-hand combat, unarmed but defeating them in a one-on-one fight, and successfully guarded Indian territory against Chinese aggression.

The teaser opens with a terrific, patriotic background song by Himesh Reshammiya, then comes Salman Khan’s entry, standing calmly, holding a stick, waiting for the intruding Chinese troop. That moment felt incredibly jaw-dropping and gripping.

Salman Khan’s charismatic screen entry as the bloodied colonel in army exhaustion, encouraging and cheering his troop with spirited lines like ‘Jawaano yaad rahe… zakham dikhe to medal samajhna..aur maut dikhe toh salaam karna aur kehna – aaj nahi, fir kabhi.” is powerful, thrilling, and spectacular whistle-worthy.

As Indian Army Officer, Salman Khan returns in a brutal, without-limits character, back with a bang.
Salman Khan in an Indian Army uniform look is a different beast altogether. The uniform perfectly suits on him, but more than that, it’s the intensity in his eyes that tells the story with deep emotion. He isn’t playing a role — he is in character. Silent rage, controlled aggression, and emotional depth all packed into a few frames.

The Battle Of Galwan Teaser script keeps things focussed, balanced, and dignified.

No unnecessary exaggeration, no melodrama —just the pure emotion, the tension, and the real outcome.
The collaboration of Himesh Reshammiya’s powerful score with vocals by Stebin Ben & Salman Khan once again proves why this duo is lethal. The BGM and music uplift every frame —patriotic without being nonsense, intense without being awful.

The sound design alone adds massive weight to the teaser.

Exciting and intense, this one promises gritty, raw visuals that capture the harsh terrain and brutal realities of high-altitude combat.

Nothing is greater than the nation, the pride of our country, and the Indian Army.

Salman’s fans are really waiting for this movie and will be excited to see Salman act in a film like this after a long, long time in his career. After many years, Salman Khan finally shows a glimpse of his true, raw form, and this film can definitely mark Salman’s comeback with great box office collections.

Earlier, we would cheer a movie like this merely for its patriotism and ignore the clear underperformance and lack of effort.

Dhurandhar has massively upped our expectations from cinema.

Post Dhurandhar, Indian cinema is divided into two periods: Before Dhurandhar (BD) and After Dhurandhar (AD).

“Maut se kya darrna, usse toh aana hi hai” an inspiring line by Salman Khan conveys a real soldier’s spirit, a sentiment that hits straight in the heart.!!!

The Battle Of Galwan teaser truly stands out with pure content-driven influence, powerful visuals, and a realistic treatment that will mesmerize you!

As Salman Khan turns 60 with a bang! The teaser for ‘Battle of Galwan’ looks epic —a proud tribute to Col. Santosh Babu & our heroes.

Directed by Apoorva Lakhia with music by Himesh Reshammiya, it releases solo on April 17, 2026, his above line alone defines the spirit of a true soldier —fearless, disciplined, and larger-than-life valour.. Butterflies promised!

Have you seen the teaser? type your reactions in the comments! Amazing teaser!!