If you think space rocket missions are expensive, you’re wrong. What’s expensive is the Indian Films. From sci-fi and mythology to bromance and tech tales, these films don’t just aim big—they spend bigger. But are they truly worth the price tag, or is it just smoke and mirrors? Let’s check out the Top 5 Most Expensive Indian Movies :
Ponniyin Selvan
Budget: ₹500 cr, Box Office: ₹850 cr (estimated). Did it deliver? Cinematically rich and historically Dense. Good for the Niche Audience, but you need a History book to follow the plot. Why so mehenga? A massive ensemble cast — Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, and Trisha — all veterans, none budget-friendly. Costume design, authentic sets, and Mani Ratnam’s sweeping vision required historical-level funding.
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Adipurush
Budget: ₹500; Box Office: ₹300- 350 cr (with backlash). Did it deliver? Absolutely not! A lesson on how not to do epics. Felt like the lavish budget was spent on the Cast and the VFX Crew was left with nothing. Why so mehenga? Prabhas’ fee was reportedly ₹100-150 crore — yes, that’s about a fifth (or more) of the total budget. The VFX wasn’t cheap either, but ironically looked like it was done on trial software.
IMDb Rating : 5.1
RRR
Budget: ₹550 cr, Box Office: ₹1,200+ cr. Did it deliver? Hell yes. Won the Oscars. No complaints. Why so mehenga? Junior NTR and Ram Charan both charged upwards of ₹40-50 crore. Add Rajamouli’s fee (rumored profit-sharing) and extensive action choreography and international filming — it was raining rupees before even a single tiger pounced on screen.
IMDb Rating: 7.8
2.0
Budget: ₹570 cr, Box Office: ₹800+ cr. Did it deliver? Yeah, in Visuals. Plot? Mehh. The film’s storyline doesn’t add up. Too much spent on nothing. Why so mehenga? The real villain? Not the bird-man, but the bill. Rajinikanth reportedly charged over ₹100 crore, Akshay Kumar around ₹50 crore, and the extensive CGI meant the producers needed a separate budget just to breathe.
IMDb Rating: 6.1
Kalki 2898 AD
Budget: ₹600 cr, Box Office: ₹1,050 cr Worldwide. Did it deliver? Money well spent? Debatable. The story is another disaster. Looks like Dune. Feels like Mahabharat. Why so mehenga? Not just VFX galore — this one’s a paycheque parade. With Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani on board, a chunk of that ₹600 crore was clearly spent on star salaries.
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Conclusion:
If these five blew your mind, wait till you see what’s cooking next. With Ramayana lining up a mythological multiverse with a budget of ₹500-800 crore and The Immortal Ashwatthama attempting resurrection with a planned ₹350–400 crore, Indian cinema isn’t just thinking big – it’s going full god-mode. The budgets are beefy, the expectations bulkier… and let’s just hope the storytelling isn’t on a diet.
Written by MANSI .B. SINGH