Mahakali teaser: Akshaye's Shukracharya unleashes darkness, Goddess rises for war

The first extended teaser of Mahakali has Akshaye Khanna stepping into the fierce world of sage Shukracharya. Set against a looming battle between Dharma and Adharma, the glimpse promises a grand mythological spectacle ahead of its January 2027 release.

In Short

• Mahakali teaser titled Shukracharya's War Cry released
• Akshaye Khanna debuts in Telugu as sage Shukracharya
• Teaser shows layered battle between Dharma and Adharma

The makers of the upcoming pan-India film Mahakali have unveiled its first extended glimpse, offering a closer look at the mythological world being created as part of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe. Titled Shukracharya's War Cry, the nearly three-minute teaser puts actor Akshaye Khanna, as sage Shukracharya, at the centre of its conflict.

The two-minute-53-second teaser introduces Khanna as Shukracharya, the guru of the Asuras, and places him at the heart of the brewing battle between Dharma and Adharma.

Almost unrecognisable, Khanna carries the look with a long silver-white beard, matted hair tied in a topknot, intense eyes and traditional tilak placed on the forehead. For an actor whose filmography screams Bollywood, it is a striking first glimpse of his character and his Telugu debut.

The battle, however, appears to be far more layered than a simple fight between good and evil. The teaser moves through dark, atmospheric visuals, elaborate sets and expansive VFX, slowly opening up a mythological world where the stakes seem much larger.

Just when the teaser seems to have revealed all its cards, Sriya Reddy makes a brief appearance as Goddess Kali, feeding an infant and offering a peek into the mythological world created by Prasanth Varma.

Watch the teaser (in Hindi) here:

Last week, the makers had unveiled Akshaye Khanna's complete look as Shukracharya, building anticipation around his character ahead of the teaser. On July 14, the team also announced that the film had completed its 125-day shooting schedule and entered its final leg of production.

Written by Prasanth Varma and directed by Puja Aparna Kolluru, Mahakali expands the cinematic universe that began with Hanu-Man (2024). The film stars Khanna alongside Sriya Reddy, Bhoomi Shetty and Rohit Saraf.

Presented by RK Duggal and produced by Riwaz Ramesh Duggal under the RKD Studios banner, Mahakali is set to enter the Sankranti 2027 release window. Mahakali will release in theatres on January 8, 2027.

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