SS Rajamouli Gives Only 20-Minute Lunch Breaks On Varanasi Sets, Reveals Prithviraj Sukumaran

If you thought working on an SS Rajamouli film was glamorous, Prithviraj Sukumaran has news for you, bring your own snacks, because you will have exactly 20 minutes to eat them.

The Malayalam superstar, who plays the film's primary villain Kumbha in Rajamouli's mammoth pan-India epic Varanasi, has been delivering some of the most candid behind-the-scenes revelations about what it is actually like to work with the RRR director and the picture that emerges is one of relentless, almost superhuman dedication.

"He comes across as one of those young filmmakers who's finally gotten to make his first film. I have not worked with a harder-working filmmaker than him. Lunch breaks on the set of Varanasi are just about 20 minutes," Prithviraj said, laughing as he let the detail sink in. He further revealed that Rajamouli is invariably the first person to arrive on set every single morning and the very last to leave at the end of the day, a work ethic that sets an unmistakable pace for the entire cast and crew from day one.

Prithviraj was equally effusive about what Rajamouli's directorial style does to an actor's performance, noting that the secret behind why actors excel in his films is precisely that they are never comfortable. "You're always challenged," he said. That philosophy, it seems, extends to mealtimes as well.

Prithviraj described his character Kumbha as the most unpredictable character arc of his career, a technologically advanced supervillain equipped with a high-tech wheelchair and Doctor Octopus-esque mechanical arms, who serves as the film's central threat across multiple timelines. Fans of the Ramayana have noted a deeper mythological layer to the character, Kumbha is widely believed to be a symbolic reimagining of Kumbhakarna, with Mahesh Babu's hero Rudhra reflecting the qualities of Lord Rama.

Prithviraj also spoke about what Varanasi means in the larger cultural context, saying the film's cast, himself from Kerala, Priyanka Chopra Jonas from the north, and Mahesh Babu from Andhra Pradesh , represents a grand cross-section of India's diversity. "I think we make a grand representation of what this country is capable of telling the West," he said, describing the film as a potential ambassador for India's aesthetics and culture to global audiences.

The production has been anything but ordinary. Shooting in Kenya's Maasai Mara, the cast found themselves standing alone in the wild as wildebeest thundered past, with Rajamouli directing Mahesh Babu via walkie-talkie from a distance, excitedly urging him to keep moving as he captured the shot. The film also became the first Indian production ever to shoot on location in Antarctica, with that schedule confirmed in March 2026.

After completing a punishing schedule, Prithviraj posted a picture of his hard-earned cheat meal on Instagram, writing: " End of a schedule that I have worked immensely hard for. Cheat meal well earned. See you in theatres, April 7, 2027." Given 20-minute lunch breaks were apparently the norm throughout, the meal was more than deserved.