New Delhi: SS Rajamouli unveiled the country’s most advanced motion capture facility in Hyderabad, where scenes from his upcoming film Varanasi were shot.
Named A&M MoCap Lab, the facility is the result of a partnership between the Akkineni Nagarjuna-owned Annapurna Studios and producer Shobu Yarlagadda’s Mihira Visual Labs. It is powered by Hollywood’s leading motion capture technology partner, Animatrik Film Design, which has helped in world-building of films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).
Rajamouli introduced the A&M Motion Capture facility and explained how key sequences of Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, were shot using the technology. He also shared the first-ever glimpse of the facility.
“India has always had some of the world’s best technicians contributing to major global productions, but what we lacked was an advanced facility right here at home. When I look back at some of my previous films like Baahubali, Eega, etc., I reminisce about how I could have made them even better if I had access to motion capture technology back then in India,” said Rajamouli.
Defining moment
The RRR (2022) and Baahubali (2015) director, who had earlier launched India’s first Dolby cinema processing facility at Annapurna Studios, spoke about how the motion capture facility represents a defining moment for filmmakers in the country.
“With the introduction of A&M’s Motion Capture technology, that gap has finally been bridged. This will change how Indian filmmakers envision and execute their stories, as we will no longer need to outsource. I have visited several motion capture facilities across the world, but what A&M offers is the perfect blend of precision and performance. We utilised this facility in the making of crucial sequences in Varanasi, and the results were simply fantastic,” the filmmaker added.
The teaser for Varanasi was unveiled at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad last year and showed glimpses of Mahesh Babu’s character riding an ox while holding a trishul. Priyanka Chopra is playing the character of Mandakini, and Prithviraj Sukumaran is playing Kumbha. The film has sequences inspired by the Ramayana.
Also read: Rajpal Yadav is back from Tihar jail. His next film is Welcome to the Jungle
Innovative filmmaking
Annapurna Studios has been in the business for the last 50 years—it was started by Akkineni Nageswara Rao in 1975. But in recent years, it has upgraded by adding cutting-edge technology to become the go-to studio for VFX, high-end post-production, and virtual shoots.
“At a time when Indian cinema is reaching audiences across the world, we wanted to raise the bar even higher. With A&M, filmmakers can now bring everything from epic adventures to intricate science fiction dramas to life right here in Hyderabad,” said Nagarjuna.
Shobu Yarlagadda, who had backed the global blockbuster Baahubali, described the collaboration as part of a long-term vision to build world-class filmmaking infrastructure in India.
“For Indian cinema to truly compete on a global stage, it is essential to create advanced technology ecosystems within the country. Seeing a filmmaker like SS Rajamouli utilise our A&M MoCap facility for Varanasi reinforces our belief that the future of Indian storytelling will be driven by innovation built at home,” said Yarlagadda.
Through the facility, directors and cinematographers can experiment with camera blocking, lens choices, camera movements, and frame rates in a dynamic virtual environment, allowing critical creative decisions to be finalised during the motion capture stage, before principal photography.
“This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a powerful previsualisation tool for filmmakers, enabling them to meticulously plan and refine their creative vision well before stepping onto a live set. This not only elevates the quality of execution but also optimises time and cost efficiencies by minimising expensive trial-and-error during live shoots,” said CV Rao, CTO of Annapurna Studios.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)