Summary- Some of the most expensive indian films ever produced are the result of Indian cinema’s embrace of enormous budgets, breathtaking visual effects, and worldwide production over the last ten years. Blockbusters like RRR and 2.0 demonstrated that large expenditures can be profitable, but failures like Adipurush and Thugs of Hindostan demonstrated that poor storytelling cannot be saved by money alone.
Expensive Indian movies have been the industry’s signature tune all along, with their extravaganza, scale, and ambition. The last ten years have seen directors set a new benchmark with massive sets, cutting-edge visual effects, and world-class production levels. Ambitions have also pushed budgets to all-time highs. While some of those movies turned into mammoth box-office successes, others remind us of what can go wrong with excess. And then, where does that money end up? From actor fees to cutting-edge equipment, let’s take a peek at the seven costliest Indian movies and why they are so costly.
7. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (₹410 Crore)
Ayan Mukerji conceptualized Brahmāstra as the first chapter in a fantastical universe steeped in Indian mythology. The high cost – ₹410 crore – included the costs of VFX used from global studios, technology, the makeup of the studios, etc., and meticulous sets. The presence of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt added to the growing costs, as their salaries don’t come cheap, and all the various delays made the film spiral even higher. While the reception was mixed, it did reasonably well in theatres and introduced audiences to a fresh, singular filmic world, and it is nice to see that sometimes, high risk brings reward.
6. Thugs of Hindostan – ₹327.51 crore
Thugs of Hindostan, which contains stars like Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan and we all thought would be amazing, was a complete flop! They spent an enormous sum of money on large ship sets, extravagant costumes, and niceties for large battle scenes, but after all of that spending, over ₹327.51 crore! The movie tanked. The story was bad, and people just did not care. The box office returns were not good, and it was one of only a few massive failures for Bollywood. This serves as a good example of expensive Indian movies that even stars and a pile of cash cannot save a bad story!
5. Radhe Shyam (₹350 Crore)
Prabhas is not a greenhorn where big-budgeted films are concerned, and Radhe Shyam is just such a one on the list. This romantic story took ₹350 crores, and it was filmed in lavish European locales, and tons of rich visual effects were used. They devoted most of the budget to having a grand setup, CGI sequences, and spending their hefty salaries on actors (Prabhas in particular). Unfortunately, although the film was simply stunning, its plot was not engaging to the audience, and it failed at the box office. It is one of the largest financial flops among expensive Indian movies.
4. Ponniyin Selvan I & II (₹500 crore combined)
Mani Ratnam dreamed of bringing Ponyin Selvan to life. He finally did this, adopting it from the famous Tamil book of Kalki Krishnamurti. The price of the two-part film is about 500 crores. To catch the Chola dynasty properly, they required real-looking old costumes, vast war scenes, and spacious sets. Filming was done throughout India and other countries, which, of course, added to the cost. The film stars Aishwarya Rai, Vikram and Karthi. which makes it one of the best casts ever in Indian films. Fortunately, people in Tamil Nadu and other places actually prefer movies, so all that money was spent well.
3. 2.0 (₹450 Crore)
Shankar’s 2.0, The Follow-up to Thron (Robot), is seen as a seriously technical film for Indian cinema. It was built with a huge budget of ₹ 450 crore. A lot of that cash went into visible effects, like you will see in Hollywood: 3D cameras, cool robots, and makeup effects. With stars like Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, 2.0 was not just a film; It was a technical experiment that really pushed what Indian films can do. Akshay played the role of a villain, which meant hours in makeup and lots of CGIs, at considerable costs. People loved the terrible technology of the film, and it earned a lot.
2. Adipurush (₹500 crore)
Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan, with Om Raut’s Adipurush, were actually a big film, which cost about ₹500-₹700 crores. A lot of CGI of that cash went into scenes that tried to bring Ramayana to life. Costumes, props, and digital goods ate a large part of the budget. Even though it was one of the precious films of India, it was slammed for its visual effects and how the characters were seen. The advertisement was very big, like the film, but the final result did not wow people. It just goes to show that it is not always enough to throw money on anything that people will like.
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1. RRR (₹550 Crore)
S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR was quite an undertaking, costing about 550 crores to make, which was one of the most ambitious films in India. A lot of that cash went into a truly cool battle scene, wide set, and visual making that can give Hollywood a run for its money. The stars of the film, Ram Charan and Junior NTR also added to the budget with their salary. The film was brought to actors around the world, and a lot of work was needed after filming. But all that attempt paid off. The RRR was a smash hit worldwide, racking up and even winning Oscars for his music for more than 1,275 crores.
Wrapping Up
The making of costly Indian films validates the imagination of the filmmakers, who plan to match international standards on the lines of script and technology. Whereas movies like RRR and 2.0 have validated the cause of extravagant expenditures resulting in record achievements, others like Adipurush and Thugs of Hindostan have shown that runaway expenditure may turn out to be a debacle if there is weak content. These expensive Indian movies display the whimsical nature of cinema – where great visual majesty, stardom, and gigantic budgets do not necessarily translate into success. Nevertheless, the desire to make heavy investments suggests that Indian cinema is firm in carrying forward big dreams and creating a strong place on the global platform.
Written by Nidhi Singh
