SS Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’ Hits a Wall: 150 Water Tankers Refused for Underwater Scene
Hyderabad water board refuses 150 tankers for SS Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’ shoot. Summer water crisis cited as reason. Mahesh Babu film due April 2027.
Big films come with big demands — and sometimes, big refusals.
SS Rajamouli’s much-anticipated film ‘Varanasi‘ has run into an unexpected problem mid-shoot. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has flatly refused to supply 150 water tankers that the film’s production team had requested for a special underwater sequence.
The sequence was to be filmed at a purpose-built outdoor set on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The production needed a massive volume of water to fill the set and execute the scene. The water board said no.
Why Did the Board Refuse?
The reason, officials say, is straightforward: it’s peak summer in Hyderabad.
The city is already under significant water supply pressure. Temperatures have been soaring, residential demand has gone up sharply, and the board is stretched thin trying to meet the basic needs of the city’s population. In that context, diverting 150 tankers for a film shoot — however high-profile — was not something officials were willing to approve.
The board’s position was clear: when there is a shortage, household water supply takes priority over everything else. A film, however big, is not an essential service.
150 Tankers — Just How Much Water Is That?
To understand the scale of the request, consider this: a standard water tanker in Hyderabad typically carries around 12,000 litres. That means the production was asking for roughly 18 lakh litres of water in one go — purely for a film set.
For a city already managing a supply crunch, that number was always going to be a tough sell. Water resource experts point out that during the April-June period, Hyderabad’s reservoirs operate at reduced capacity, making large-scale non-essential water use particularly difficult to justify.
What Does This Mean for the Shoot?
The production team is now likely exploring alternatives — including sourcing water through private suppliers or redesigning the logistics of the scene entirely. Rajamouli’s productions are known for their meticulous planning, and a single administrative setback rarely derails a shoot permanently.
That said, the underwater sequence appears to be a technically demanding set-piece, and finding a workaround at the same scale won’t be simple. Whether the scene gets delayed, relocated, or reimagined entirely remains to be seen.
There has been no official statement yet from the production house or Rajamouli’s team on how they plan to proceed.
Who Stars in ‘Varanasi’?
‘Varanasi’ is one of the most talked-about Indian films currently in production. The cast is as ambitious as you would expect from Rajamouli.
Mahesh Babu plays the lead role of ‘Rudra’. Priyanka Chopra Jonas appears as ‘Mandakini’, marking another high-profile collaboration between a Bollywood name and a pan-India production. Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran takes on the role of ‘Kumbh’.
The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on April 7, 2027.
Rajamouli’s Track Record of Ambitious Productions
This is not the first time a Rajamouli production has pushed boundaries — and faced complications because of it.
His earlier films, including the RRR and Baahubali franchises, were known for their extraordinary scale of production, large custom-built sets, and sequences that required months of logistical planning. ‘Varanasi’ appears to be following the same template, with an underwater sequence that, if executed as planned, could be one of the more visually striking scenes in recent Indian cinema.
The water tanker episode is a reminder that even the biggest productions sometimes hit walls that money alone cannot knock down.
A Legitimate Concern, Not Just Red Tape
It would be easy to frame this as bureaucratic obstruction of a prestigious project. But the water board’s decision deserves a fair reading.
Hyderabad has faced recurring water stress in recent summers. Millions of residents depend on tanker supply in areas where piped water is either unreliable or absent. A decision to redirect 150 tankers — even temporarily — could genuinely affect hundreds of households during a period when alternatives are limited.
The board, in this case, appears to have made the right call.
What Happens Next?
‘Varanasi’ has close to a year before its April 2027 release. There is enough time to solve this problem — but the clock is ticking on the shoot schedule.
If Rajamouli’s team finds a private water source or adjusts the sequence, the film moves forward. If the scene needs to be reshot at a different location, that adds both cost and time. Either way, a film of this scale has the resources to adapt. The bigger question is whether the underwater sequence, as originally conceived, will make it to the final cut — or whether the water board’s refusal quietly changed a small piece of cinematic history before it was made.
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