Mahesh Babu jets off with family, takes a New Year break; 'Varanasi' actor's fun airport moment goes viral

With a light moment at Hyderabad airport, Mahesh Babu is back in the news—making headlines again regarding his off-screen life this time. The No. 1 Telugu hero was recently seen departing for New Year holidays together with his family, igniting interest amongst the star’s fans and the netizens. The actor, together with his wife, Namrata Shirodkar, and his kids, Sitara and Gautham, all looked relaxed and composed as they were preparing to leave, apparently for a trip abroad.On top of this, there was Mahesh Babu’s signature airport wave. Dressed down, the prince of Tollywood can be seen holding his passport and giving a thumbs-up to the paparazzi, a light-hearted dig most probably born out of an inside joke about director Rajamouli. The incident resulted in much laughter, with fans affectionately calling him “Naughty Babu” and admiring his easy comic timing. Clips and images from the airport became popular, eliciting laughter from many, even those who were completely indifferent. The teasing gesture goes back to a recent post by SS Rajamouli, who, in jest, stated that he had “confiscated” Mahesh Babu's passport so that he wouldn’t have any holidays during the rigorous schedule for their upcoming movie, ‘Varanasi.’ Director Rajamouli's ironic remarks received a lot of attention, with fans enjoying the humor between the actor and him. The display of his passport by Mahesh appears to be a lighthearted retort to this, indicating that superstar Mahesh is now in holiday mode, for the time being, at least.This break is unexpected, given the busy shooting of 'Varanasi,' a big film for Mahesh Babu. Directed by SS Rajamouli and with a glittering international cast including Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film has a much tougher schedule with an overseas shoot as well and a 2027 release. Mahesh is known to take time off to be with his kids between projects and seems to be resting up for the physically taxing shoot ahead, while discreetly managing to be a normal father and husband, along with being a superstar.