Nearly 11 years after IMAX stopped screening films in Hyderabad and PCX multiplexes came to dominate the state, the format is set for a comeback.
On Monday, actor Mahesh Babu’s home banner AMB Cinemas announced a deal to open three IMAX theatres.
The first of these will launch at AMB Classic in Hyderabad, the luxury cinema co-owned by the Telugu superstar, ahead of the release of S.S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi.
“MAX PICTURE. MAX SOUND. MAX IMMERSION. Introducing IMAX. Coming soon, only at AMB Classic Victory, Hyderabad,” the production banner wrote on X.
“What you’re seeing is a function of IMAX becoming more and more prominent, and quite honestly, a lot of cohorts paying way more attention to us than happened before,” Giovanni Dolci, chief commercial officer of IMAX, told Variety. “International growth is certainly a driver of that attention and of that relevance.”
The AMB Classic venue is expected to open by the end of 2026, with two additional locations to be announced in 2028.
Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles.
The teaser of Varanasi was unveiled at a grand event in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on November 15 last year. The makers also revealed the title of the film, which was tentatively titled Globe Trotter prior to the event.
The film marks S.S. Rajamouli’s first collaboration with Prithviraj Sukumaran and Mahesh Babu.
The production for the film began in April 2025, and the filming reportedly took place in Kenya and Andhra Pradesh’s Borra Caves.
Varanasi also marks Priyanka’s return to Indian cinema after 2019’s The Sky is Pink, which also starred Farhan Akhtar.