Varanasi star Priyanka Chopra explains why India loves its movie stars so much [Exclusive] & more related news here

you could think You love movies, but no one makes them with as much passion as those who ride and die with their favorite stars in India. After achieving global acclaim with 2022’s “RRR”, director SS Rajamouli looks to bring back lightning in a bottle with his much-awaited Telugu-language sequel “Varanasi”. But even more than that musically inclined epic, this one carries a high level of name recognition across the international scene. Rajamouli has roped in the lead trio of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran and Telugu heartthrob Mahesh Babu for his three leads, and the cumulative reaction among fans at home has been enough to embarrass the rest of the world.

That is by far my biggest takeaway from my visit to the set of “Varanasi” in November 2025 in Hyderabad, India, which I attended on behalf of /Film. On the first day of the trip, I was taken (along with a group of jet-lagged journalists) to witness the much-awaited announcement of ‘Varanasi’. This outdoor event was over a year in planning and featured over 50,000 fans, the debut of the first “Varanasi” trailer, and the largest (130 by 100 feet) outdoor LED screen I have ever seen; all meant to celebrate Rajamouli and, in particular, his three super-popular actors.

Compared to how Western audiences seem to have lost interest in their own movie stars, the almost religious fervor that Indian film fans reserve for theirs couldn’t help but stand out. That was at the top of my mind when I spoke to the three stars of the show after the festivities. According to Chopra Jonas, there is a very One good reason why India does things differently when it comes to its movie stars: it’s simply part of its culture.

It’s impossible to describe the sheer energy and electricity in the air during an event like the one that first announced “Varanasi” to the world in late 2025, a unique atmosphere that far surpasses easy comparisons like San Diego Comic-Con… by orders of magnitude. Luckily, the Sri Durga Arts studio hosted a livestream on YouTube that comes a little close to capturing what it was like to attend in person. The raucous cheers and spontaneous applause whenever the film’s three leads appeared on the big screen, but particularly Telugu sensation Mahesh Babu, had to be seen to be believed.

So let Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the world-famous actress and pioneer who helped make Indian cinema much more popular around the world, be aware of the debate raging around movie stars and their box office appeal in the West. During an exclusive interview with her, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Babu, Chopra Jonas described why the film-going public in her homeland embraces its stars to this extent:

“I really try to explain this to a lot of my colleagues and friends, that the kind of love and affection that Indian fans have for their movie stars is unprecedented. India loves its movies. We go out in crowds. We take our families. It’s what we can do when there’s nothing else. It was always movies and cricket. In India, these are two things that are like entertainment royalty.

“And, as you saw, there is so much love for its movie stars in this country, that… it can’t be explained. It’s just in the fabric, it’s just in the culture, it’s just in the being.”

That could go a long way toward explaining why Hollywood blockbusters are starting to fall behind the rest of the world, to the point that animated exports like “Ne Zha 2” are far outpacing our own films at the box office. Given the overwhelming success of “RRR” and the planned IMAX release for “Varanasi,” well, that recent trend doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. However, when it comes to Indian and American cinema, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is in a unique position to see the difference between how audiences respond to productions from her home country.

He went on to explain how this “Varanasi” event compares to any other major film market in the world, including mine here in New York. The overwhelming reception from Mahesh Babu’s rowdy fan base leaves an impression, but the intensity runs even deeper. According to Chopra Jonas:

“Mahesh is one of the biggest Telugu film stars. And to be able to see his fan base come before all of us and welcome Prithviraj and me with such open arms… [‘Varanasi’ is] My first Telugu film. I’ve never made a full movie here. It was just amazing. But even when I work abroad, when you see Indian fans, wherever they are, and I’m sure you’ve seen this because you’re from New York, that kind of affection and love is very different.

And I feel very privileged to have had such an incredibly long career built on the love of Indian film fans. And it’s very hard to describe, but I’m glad we enjoyed it.”

The rest of us will finally understand what Indian audiences already know when “Varanasi” hits theaters on April 7, 2027.