India's most expensive film set cost ₹50 cr, more than Devdas' full budget; not from Baahubali, Heeramandi, Ramayan, RRR

A pan-India filmmaker has recreated a city and its temples at the cost of ₹50 crore for his next film featuring two superstars.

Even as Indian films are increasing reliance on VFX and CGI, the old-fashioned way of building massive sets has not gone away completely. New filmmakers are building massive sets for their films, often to avoid travel, and sometimes to lend the authenticity that VFX cannot. One upcoming film has a huge city-sized set that costs ₹50 crore, the highest for any single set in Indian cinema history.

The most expensive Indian film set recreates Varanasi in Hyderabad. (AI)

Indian cinema's most expensive set

SS Rajamouli is currently filming his upcoming pan-India magnum opus with Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra. Tentatively titled SSMB29, the film is a fantasy action adventure, part of which is set in Varanasi. Rajamouli has reportedly recreated the entire city of Kashi, with its ghats and temples, in Hyderabad, as filming in the ancient city would prove to be difficult logistically. Leaked images show the scale and grandeur of the set, with temples and ghats visible in the foreground of Hyderabad's skyline. According to sources, the set's cost is ₹50 crore, the most for a single set in Indian cinema history.

To put into context, just how crazy the idea of a ₹50-crore set is, one must remember that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas held the record for being India's most expensive film for years. The film's inflated budget was largely due to its opulent sets. And yet, its total budget was under ₹50 crore.

Other highly expensive sets

Another Telugu pan-India film, Prabhas' The RajaSaab, has also created a magnificent set that the makers are calling the largest indoor set in the world. Spread across 38000 square feet, the set took 6 months to make, but there is no information on its cost. The kotha of Chandramukhi in Devdas cost ₹12 crore back in 2002. Similarly, Bajirao Mastani, Heeramandi, Baahubali, Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo, and Thugs of Hindostan all spend ₹15-20 crore on their biggest sets. Anurag Kashyap also spent crores in recreating 1960s' Bombay in Sri Lanka for Bombay Velvet.