Yash-starrer Toxic was shot in both Kannada and English, with the English version specifically designed for the global market.
Yash, who is also one of the film’s producers, has managed to secure a major international deal with Hollywood studio Lionsgate.
Lionsgate will handle the film’s release in several international markets, particularly North America, giving Toxic a strong theatrical platform overseas.
Another major Indian film targeting the global market is Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi. The film has already secured an international theatrical deal with Sony Pictures International.
Its producer, Namit Malhotra, who is also the CEO of visual effects company DNEG, has strong connections in Hollywood.
DNEG has won multiple Oscars for its visual effects work and was also involved in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Both Toxic and Ramayana have also reportedly secured lucrative OTT deals.
Against this backdrop, an interesting question arises: what is happening with Rajamouli’s Varanasi?
Despite being one of the biggest Indian films currently in production and featuring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the lead roles, Varanasi is yet to finalise a major international theatrical distribution deal. The film is also reportedly yet to lock its OTT deal.
Rajamouli has been exploring collaborations with major Hollywood studios such as Disney, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures for the film’s international release. However, none of these discussions have reportedly resulted in a final deal so far.
The situation is interesting because Rajamouli arguably has a stronger international brand than Yash or Ranbir Kapoor as a filmmaker.
His Baahubali films and RRR have established him as one of the few Indian directors with significant global recognition.
The Varanasi team has also been aggressively promoting the film internationally, with Rajamouli and his team making efforts to build awareness across global markets.
Yet, despite the international push and the huge scale of the project, a major overseas theatrical partner and OTT platform are still to be officially announced.
So, what exactly is holding back Varanasi?
The answer may be more complicated than just star power or Rajamouli’s global reputation.
International studios could be closely studying the film’s massive budget, commercial projections, release strategy and the risk involved in backing an original Indian epic on such a large scale.
For now, Toxic and Ramayana have managed to secure major international partners, while Varanasi remains the big question mark.
