The Future Ai

Fans talk about the empty seats online

During the event, filmmaker SS Karthikeya spoke on stage about the film and showed new BTS footage from the movie. Some photos and videos from the event started a debate online. One image showed many empty seats in front rows during the panel. A fan on The empty seats conveys everything.” Another video showed people moving around while SS Rajamouli spoke in a recorded message. A user wrote, “#Varanasi & #Ramayana seem heavily tilted towards Western markets, while the real powerhouse -Indian audience is being taken for granted.”

What other netizens have to say

On the other hand, many fans said the clips do not show the full truth. Some shared other photos where people were sitting and standing behind the stage. They said seats were empty for other panels too. One person said people were not leaving, they were just finding seats. Fans asked others not to judge the film so early.

About ‘Varanasi’

Directed by SS Rajamouli, the movie is a large-scale time-travelling adventure thriller with Mahesh Babu playing the character Rudra. The movie stars Priyanka Chopra as Mandkini, the female lead and features Prithiviraj Sukumar as the main antagonist Kumbha. The film is reportedly being made on a massive budget of Rs 1400 crore. It is set to release on April 7, 2027.