Varanasi Announcement Event Costs Staggering Rs. 15-18 Crores

According to sources close to the Varanasi project, the cost of SS Rajamouli's announcement event held at Hyderabad's Ramoji Film City last month is estimated to be a staggering Rs. 15-18 crores. This is a significant amount, even for a big-budget film like Varanasi, which is reportedly budgeted around Rs. 600 crores.

The high costs can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the producers had to shell out substantial sums to secure the attendance of lead actors Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who were reportedly paid around Rs. 2 crores each. Additionally, the logistics of setting up an event of this magnitude at Ramoji Film City were no easy feat, adding further to the overall expenditure.

Interestingly, the telecast rights for the event were acquired by JioHostar for approximately Rs. 6-7 crores, which helped offset some of the production costs. However, the remaining expenses were still substantial, highlighting the grand scale and ambition of Rajamouli's Varanasi project.