Varanasi: SS Rajamouli Chooses Human Dubbing Over AI For Global Release

SS Rajamouli is taking a decidedly human approach to the global release of Varanasi, choosing real voice artists over AI generated voices for the film’s multiple language versions.

The ambitious project, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is being planned as a major international release. According to the latest reports, Rajamouli’s team is preparing dubbed versions in around 50 languages, with the film expected to reach audiences across approximately 120 countries.

Instead of relying on artificial intelligence to reproduce voices across different languages, the team is reportedly auditioning nearly 1,500 voice artists to identify performers who can appropriately match the characters and preserve the emotional nuances of the original performances.

The decision comes at a time when AI voice technology is increasingly being explored by the entertainment industry to make large scale multilingual releases faster and potentially more cost effective. Rajamouli, however, appears determined to retain the human element in Varanasi, particularly when it comes to emotions, expressions and characterisation.

With the film’s shoot still underway, recording and coordinating so many language versions is expected to be a substantial undertaking. The scale of the dubbing operation itself reflects the makers’ ambitions for Varanasi, which is being positioned as a global theatrical spectacle rather than a film primarily targeting the Indian market.

Rajamouli has previously demonstrated a strong focus on technical precision and theatrical presentation, and the reported dubbing strategy appears to follow the same philosophy. By using dedicated voice artists for different markets, the team hopes to ensure that the characters’ emotions and performances remain effective even when audiences watch the film in languages other than Telugu.

Mahesh Babu leads the cast, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas making her major Indian cinema comeback in a prominent role and Prithviraj Sukumaran also playing a key part. The film has generated substantial international attention since its announcement because of the combination of Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu and the film’s reported global scale.

Varanasi is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on April 7, 2027. If the schedule remains unchanged, the team will have to complete the remaining production and the enormous multilingual dubbing process well ahead of the release date.