Last updated on 17 November 2025.
S S Rajamouli is again redefining Indian cinema with his upcoming Varanasi (Globetrotter) movie. This time, he had made it in the rare 1.43:1 IMAX. This is the first time an Indian movie will be presented in this premium large format. Let’s understand what it means for desi cinephiles.
Varanasi movie is made in 1.43 IMAX format
At the grand “Globetrotter” event in Hyderabad, Rajamouli unveiled the first look of his next project: Varanasi, which stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The first teaser for the movie was shown on a massive 130 ft screen, featuring concept shots hinting at the grand scale we can expect.
Everything was huge in size, and so was the aspect ratio.
Rajamouli confirmed that Varanasi is shot and will be presented in the 1.43:1 aspect ratio, especially for IMAX.
Note that only a select scenes from Varanasi will be in 1.43:1 aspect ratio, not the complete movie.
This is the first time an Indian movie will be made for this format. Many Indian movies are released in IMAX, but none of them were made for the 1.43:1 format.
Here’s what director Rajamouli said about this technological leap at the event:
“We make all the films with CinemaScope, and most of them are made in the CinemaScope format. Many times, the films we watch in IMAX theaters are the films we have made, blown up and scaled up, and branded as IMAX. That is not True IMAX. … But a few films like Baahubali, RRR are actually produced in IMAX, VFX is done, shoots and everything are done in full. Which we call 1.90:1 format. Can we have the big one? Bigger screen and this film you are going to watch in full screen (1.43) filmed for IMAX.”
– SS Rajamouli (Translated from Telugu)
Not only in India, this will be the first non-English movie to use 1.43:1 aspect ratio.
Rajamouli brought 1.90:1 IMAX to India with Baahubali The Conclusion in 2017. Now he is brining 1.43:1 IMAX. He has a habit of introducing cutting-edge filmmaking tech to India, raising the bar for himself and the industry.
Why is 1.43 IMAX different than normal IMAX?
Most of the movies we see are in the standard cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.39:1.
Then comes IMAX (about 95% of them), where the aspect ratio is 1.90:1.
But this is not the true size of this format.
The original aspect ratio of IMAX is 1.43:1 aspect ratio but only a few films have used it. They are only shown at IMAX GT venues.
Here’s how all of them look:
See the difference? As we progress, the image height increases, making it more immersive.
When Christopher Nolan first brought IMAX to Hollywood with The Dark Knight (2008), he shot select scenes in this large 1.43:1 ratio. The IMAX screens at that time were also in this size. These are called GT theatres.
However, these GT screens are huge and cost a lot for the cinema chains.
On the other hand, shooting a movie in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio was done with 70mm reel cameras, which were also costlier for filmmakers. Then, sending these physical film (reel) prints to theatres worldwide was another headache.
So, IMAX introduced its digital “variant”.
Digital IMAX screens are not so big and so, cheaper to build. Shooting a movie for them can be done with affordable digital cameras, and the aspect ratio decided was 1.90:1. Hence, it became the standard.
Most of the IMAX films nowadays are made for Digital IMAX, shot digitally and presented with digital projectors. Movies like Avengers: Endgame, Baahubali, F1, and Spider-Man: No Way Home are some notable examples.
Meanwhile, only a few movies are made for 70mm IMAX, including The Dark Knight, Batman V Superman, Oppenheimer, Sinners, etc. Even in those, only a few scenes are shot for 70mm.
But now some filmmakers have tried to combine the best features of both digital and 70mm. They are shooting with digital cameras but using the 1.90:1 aspect ratio.
Dune and Dune Part Two is are prime example of this combination.
Dune Part Two was filmed entirely for IMAX in 1.90:1 AR with digital cameras, but also partially utilized 1.43:1 AR. So, if you watched the movie in digital IMAX, you only got 1.90:1 AR throughout. But if you watch it in the IMAX GT venue, you get 1.43:1 AR for some scenes as well.
Some other movies that used this method were Marvel’s Eternals, Fantastic Four: First Steps, No Time to Die, and One Battle after Another. They were all shot digitally but made 1.43:1 AR available for some shots.
The 1.43:1 aspect ratio is taller to provide more frame to perfectly incorporate sweeping landscapes and towering architecture.
Here is how Varanasi will look on different screens:
Here is another frame for comparison:
Rajamouli is known to push boundaries of cinema in our country, which he did with Baahubali and RRR.
Now that he is making a global adventure movie with sprinkles of Hindu mythology, we know he wants every frame to be epic.
With such ambitious projects, Rajamouli is cementing himself as the most visionary director of India. A sci-fi movie with mythological roots has the potential to reach new audiences globally. That is bold filmmaking and the start of the new IMAX era in the Indian film industry.
Is 1.43 IMAX coming soon in India?
The popularity of IMAX is increasing everywhere in the world, and also in India. India now has many IMAX theatres now, with more coming soon.
The concern is that we don’t have any IMAX capable of showing movies in a 1.43:1 ratio. We used to have 5 of such in the past, all 70mm IMAX (in India), but now only one is functional but it doesn’t exhibit commercial films.
I am talking about IMAX at Gujarat Science City. They have the 1.43:1 screen but their projector is still the 70mm one that need physical prints. But Varanasi is not shot in 70mm format. So, there is zero chance they will convert the movie for 70mm and send it to Gujarat Science City.
That means even if the movie is made in 1.43:1, Indians can only watch it in 1.90:1 on our digital IMAX screens.
On top of that, Hyderabad does not even have a digital IMAX. The city once had Prasads IMAX with a 70mm projector and a 1.43:1 screen, but not anymore.
However, Varanasi can open a door for bringing this premium large format to Telangana and India. The movie is coming out in 2027, so there is still time for Indian cinema chains to open an IMAX GT screen.
Will it happen or not? That is something to see.
Rajamouli himself requested VP of India to bring a 1.43:1 IMAX screen in India by the time Varanasi releases.
In response, IMAX VP Preetham Daniel said: “The efforts to open an IMAX screen has been on since 2015 when prasadz closed but rest assured, the efforts are on and I will communicate to you as soon as we have some progress.”
This is not an indication that it is going to happen, but just a hint that there are talks between theatre owners to bring this format in the country.
But still if you a digital IMAX screen in your city, go for it. You would at least get 1.90:1 size.
If you are in Hyderabad, the Prasads PCX screen will also receive 1.90:1 footage. Even if it is not IMAX (anymore), Rajamouli and his team will make sure you get full version. They did the same with Baahubali The Epic rerelease. So, atleast you have that.
For anyone outside of India, all IMAX GT venues will get Varanasi in 1.43:1 frame. If you have one near you, that’s the best choice.
Takeaways
Now you know what Rajamouli’s Varanasi, aka Globetrotter, will look like on an IMAX screen and why this is a game-changer for Indian cinema.
I believe Varanasi has the potential to truly make Indian cinema go global. It will have hints of our culture, but the key is the adventure and time travel genre, hinted at in the teaser. If they can crack an amazing story, even foreigners will show greater interest. They had a taste of Tollywood with RRR and Baahubali, but this is something they are more familiar with, and they can easily understand.
With the marketing of “Filmed for IMAX”, more cinephile audiences will be attracted towards it. They would love to see the technical advancements brought by a non-Hollywood director.
And if you don’t know who I am? I am Ranish Chauhan a.k.a. Fulmino Fan, and I love Marvel & DC Superheroes and Sci-Fi movies. You can also check my YouTube channel.