Priyanka Chopra and Team Varanasi Wish Prithviraj as Kumbha

Priyanka Chopra’s birthday message for Prithviraj Sukumaran did more than mark Friday, October 16. It put a character front and centre: Kumbha, the antagonist of SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi.

A birthday post that came with a character name

Sharing the makers’ post on her Instagram Stories, Priyanka wrote “Happy Birthday Kumbha” and tagged Prithviraj. Mahesh Babu, the film’s lead, kept the same note, wishing Kumbha a happy birthday with “lots of love n happiness always.”

The Varanasi team’s social account went a step further, calling Kumbha the “most complex mind” in the film. Rajamouli posted on X that he did not want to “awaken the Kumbha within” on the birthday, but added that Kumbha is “destined to make his mark on the world.”

• Priyanka Chopra: Shared the makers’ post and wrote “Happy Birthday Kumbha.”
• Mahesh Babu: Wished Kumbha a happy birthday, with lots of love and happiness.
• Varanasi team: Called Kumbha the most complex mind in the film.
• SS Rajamouli: Joked about not awakening Kumbha and praised the character’s destiny.

Why Kumbha already matters

The birthday posts are more than routine celebrity wishes. They follow the reveal of Prithviraj’s first look as Kumbha in November. Rajamouli had said he found bringing the “sinister, ruthless, powerful antagonist” to life creatively satisfying. By keeping Kumbha in the conversation even on a birthday, the team is extending the film’s marketing through character, not just star power.

For Hindi film fans, the appeal is a Bollywood star and a major Malayalam actor sharing a pan-Indian epic. Priyanka Chopra’s presence adds global reach, while Mahesh Babu and Rajamouli already bring a large national and southern audience.

What the film promises

Varanasi follows Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, a man racing to protect the city of Varanasi as an asteroid threatens it. M. M. Keeravani has composed the music. Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business are producing, and the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on April 7, 2027.

What to watch as the release approaches

With the release around six months away, every post has a chance to build the world. The birthday moment suggests Varanasi will keep its antagonist visible rather than saving him for a late reveal. For fans, that means Kumbha teases are likely part of the run-up to 2027.

Source: The Times of India