Varanasi to Have Six Songs, Says MM Keeravani; Score Work From September

The most closely watched collaboration in Indian cinema has offered a rare production detail. Per NDTV, citing a 123Telugu report, composer MM Keeravani said at a recent public appearance that Varanasi, SS Rajamouli's globe-trotting action-adventure with Mahesh Babu, will carry six songs.

• Composer MM Keeravani has said SS Rajamouli's Varanasi will feature six songs, per NDTV, citing a 123Telugu report on his remarks at a public appearance.
• Keeravani is expected to begin work on the film's background score in September 2026, per NDTV and The Times of India.
• The Times of India reported the Oscar-winning composer confirming the six-song plan and the September start for score work.
• Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu as Rudhra alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and is targeted at a 2027 release, per Pinkvilla.
• Mahesh Babu's first-look as Rudhra was unveiled earlier in August, per The Hindu, and Rajamouli has said the film is about 80 per cent shot, as covered in this site's earlier verified reporting.
• The search interest spike around Mahesh Babu on August 21 tracked the music update, with NDTV, TOI and Pinkvilla all carrying the story within a day.

The Times of India reported the same update, noting that the Oscar-winning composer confirmed background-score work on the film will begin in September 2026. Pinkvilla, carrying the story with a note of caution, framed the six-song figure as what is known so far from the composer's remarks rather than an official tracklist announcement.

Where the production stands

The music update slots into a production that is deep into its shoot. Rajamouli said earlier this month that Varanasi is about 80 per cent filmed, with the remaining portions and post-production stacked toward its planned 2027 arrival, as this site reported from his IMAX-event remarks. Mahesh Babu's look as Rudhra was unveiled in early August, per The Hindu, giving the film its first big publicity beat.

A September start for the background score, per the TOI report, suggests the film's edit is far enough along for Keeravani to begin scoring completed sequences, the same staggered pattern he followed on the RRR and Baahubali productions.

Why six songs is news

For a Rajamouli film, the shape of the soundtrack is a structural signal. Six songs points to a full-scale musical canvas in the Baahubali tradition rather than the leaner, score-driven approach of some recent pan-India actioners. Keeravani's soundtracks have been central to the international profile of Rajamouli's films, with Naatu Naatu's Academy Award the high-water mark.

The film pairs Mahesh Babu with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, marking her return to Indian cinema in a leading role, with Prithviraj Sukumaran playing the antagonist, per Pinkvilla. Reported plot details describe an adventure spanning continents and timelines, though the makers have not issued an official synopsis.

What to watch next

With score work beginning in September, the next expected milestones are a first single and a formal release-date announcement, neither of which has been dated in the reports cited here. Trade coverage across NDTV, TOI and Pinkvilla continues to place Varanasi as the biggest Indian theatrical event of 2027.

The August 21 spike in search interest around Mahesh Babu tracked this music update, the latest sign that even incremental Varanasi news moves audience attention at a scale few Indian productions can match.

This article is original commentary and analysis by The NE Times. Background facts were referenced from NDTV, The Times of India, Pinkvilla, The Hindu.