The cinematic landscape was dramatically shifted with the official title announcement for the ambitious collaboration between master filmmaker SS Rajamouli and Superstar Mahesh Babu. The title, Varanasi, was unveiled with a breathtaking poster that instantly captured the global imagination. The visual centerpiece of the poster depicts Mahesh Babu, portraying the character Rudhra, riding a colossal white bull amidst a dust storm, an image of raw power and ancient fervor, set against the backdrop of the holy city’s temples. The film is slated for a grand release in 2027.
However, the powerful imagery of a hero riding atop a mighty bull quickly sparked an unexpected wave of nostalgia across social media timelines. Film enthusiasts were immediately reminded of a similar, iconic visual from one of Indian cinema’s most legendary unfinished projects: Kamal Haasan’s historical epic, Marudhanayagam. This connection has gone viral, highlighting the cyclical nature of powerful, grand-scale visuals in storytelling.
The synchronicity, which quickly became the day’s biggest talking point, was attributed to a specific piece of archival footage. A social media post explicitly stated: “If not for @ilaiyaraaja sir, we wouldn’t even have this footage today. Thanks to him for releasing the song nine years ago, the entire timeline is now filled with KH sir riding atop a bull on the eve of the #Varanasi title release.“
The footage in question is the “Marudhanayagam Exclusive Song | Kamal Haasan | Ilaiyaraaja Official,” which was released on YouTube by the official channel of the music maestro, Ilaiyaraaja, nine years ago. The video, which has amassed over 25 million views to date, showcases never-before-seen scenes from the Marudhanayagam project, often hailed as a magnum opus shelved too soon. While the footage primarily features intense, historical action sequences and a powerful performance by Kamal Haasan, the reference to “KH sir riding atop a bull” suggests the Varanasi poster’s visual is echoing the dramatic intensity and thematic scope that Marudhanayagam was intended to convey.
This viral confluence serves as a potent reminder of the enduring legacy of Ilaiyaraaja, who preserved and released the exclusive material, ensuring the existence of this decade-old footage. His action has inadvertently provided the perfect counter-narrative and historical context for the announcement of Rajamouli’s latest period actioner. The unexpected bull-riding motif has created a temporary, yet significant, bridge between the high-anticipation project of today (Varanasi) and the great cinematic “what if” of the past (Marudhanayagam).
