Vishwambhara story leaked: Chiranjeevi, Trisha Krishnan's epic adventure to explore this Hinduism cosmology concept

Director Vassishta's Vishwambhara is a fantasy film starring Chiranjeevi, Trisha Krishnan, Kunal Kapoor, and Ashika Ranganath.

Director Vassishta’s Vishwambhara, starring Chiranjeevi, Trisha Krishnan, Kunal Kapoor, and Ashika Ranganath, will be released in theatres sometime this year. Ever since the film was announced, it has been compared to the director’s previous fantasy film Bimbisara and Chiranjeevi’s 1990 film Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (JVAS). After months of staying mum, the director leaked the film’s story in an interview with Gulte while clarifying rumours.

Chiranjeevi in a still from Vassishta's fantasy film Vishwambhara.

Vishwambhara’s story revealed

In the interview, Vassishta revealed that Vishwambhara will take place in one of the 14 lokas/lokalu (worlds) in Hinduism. He said, “There are 14 lokalu, 7 on top and 7 on the bottom. Numerous filmmakers have already explored different worlds in the manner they want. I decided to go a step further. Vishwambhara takes place in the Satya lokam where Lord Brahma resides. We have already seen films where Yama lokam and Svarga lokam are explored. I wanted to do something different.”

He also busted rumours that the film had anything to do with JVAS, comparing it to James Cameron’s Avatar and NTR’s Patala Bhairavi as examples. “As a kid, I watched Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, but this film has nothing to do with that. Nor does it have anything to do with Bhairava Dweepam (1994). Be it Avatar (2009) or Patala Bhairavi (1951), all fantasy films will see the hero look for a person or thing that is missing or in another world. There’s nothing to hide, Vishwambhara is all about how the hero crosses the lokalu to rescue the heroine, much like how Rama went for Sita.”

What are the 14 lokalu?

In the Puranas and the Atharvaveda, there are 14 worlds, seven higher ones (Vyahrtis) and seven lower ones (Pātālas), where different deities and beings reside. Bhu loka, the Earth, and Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Jana, Tapa, and Satya are the higher ones. Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala lokas make up the lower ones.