The creator of 'RRR' has directed the most expensive film in Indian history

Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli's new project has been given a Hollywood-scale budget and is poised to become the most massive cinematic event in the Indian box office in recent years.

Indian director S.S. Rajamouli, who gained worldwide fame with the global hit 'RRR', is finalizing work on the film 'Varanasi', which will officially become the most expensive project in the history of Indian cinema. According to Variety, the film's production budget has exceeded $150 million, more than doubling the expenditure on the director's previous work.

Hollywood Scale and Record Budget
For comparison, 'RRR', which grossed $166 million worldwide (with about $130 million coming from India), was made for $72 million. Rajamouli's new film is nearly twice as expensive, automatically placing it in the category of projects with budgets comparable to major Hollywood blockbusters.

The director himself calls 'Varanasi' the realization of a long-held dream — a "global adventure" aimed at an international audience.

Filming on Three Continents and Antarctica
Production on the film has unfolded across three continents. The crew has worked in various regions of India, in the forests of Kenya, and has also become one of the few in the world to successfully conduct part of the shoot in the harsh conditions of Antarctica.

A significant portion of the budget went not only towards complex logistics and working in extreme locations but also towards extensive visual effects, the scale of which the creators describe as unprecedented for Indian cinema.

Cast and Release Date
The lead roles in this epic feature are played by Mahesh Babu, Sharat Saxena, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The project is positioned as a spectacular story with an international scope, capable of matching or surpassing the success of 'RRR' outside India.

The film 'Varanasi' is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on April 7, 2027.