# SS Karthikeya says Varanasi title event glitch left him close to tears

Published 2026-09-26T08:35:24Z

> Producer SS Karthikeya has recalled the technical glitch that held up the grand Varanasi title reveal in Hyderabad, saying he felt like crying and that many on the team, including anchor Suma, were in tears.

The grand title reveal for SS Rajamouli's Varanasi in Hyderabad did not go to plan backstage. A technical glitch set the event back by quite some time. Producer SS Karthikeya, the director's son, has now admitted that the pressure left him close to tears.

Karthikeya spoke about that night while shooting a promotional video with anchor Suma and actor Fahadh Faasil for the upcoming film Don't Trouble The Trouble. Suma anchored the Varanasi event, and she asked him how he felt when the glitch hit. He said the tent backstage felt like a war room and admitted, "To be honest, I felt like crying." He added that he felt emotional and angry without knowing who to be angry with, because nobody was at fault.

Karthikeya said the real problem was that nothing could be tested in advance. Drones had been flying over the venue all night, so the team never got to check the setup. He stressed that the technical crew was strong and that the content was not in the wrong format. When the presentation finally played on the third attempt, he said he yelled like Nani in Jersey.

Suma said the tension spread across the whole team. She recalled that Rama Rajamouli was in tears, as were most people around her, herself included, and compared the night to launching a rocket like ISRO. Karthikeya added that Rajamouli's voice was clearly shaken when he finally took the stage, while Namrata Shirodkar was praying.

The anchor also shared a lighter memory. She said she stayed by Rama's side and kept talking to her, which left Rama irritated, and said she does not think she will ever forget that event.

Varanasi stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. KL Narayana and Karthikeya are producing the film, which is set to reach theatres on April 7, 2027.

## Related titles
- [Vāranāsi](https://clapnumber.com/movies/varanasi)

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Source: https://clapnumber.com/news/ss-karthikeya-says-varanasi-title-event-glitch-left-him-close-to-tears
Retrieved: 2026-09-26