Ramayana to RRR: 9 Most Expensive Films Ever Made in India

Indian cinema is renowned not only for its vibrant storytelling but also for the spectacular scale of its high-budget blockbusters. In recent years, filmmakers have pushed the envelope, pouring hundreds of crores into visuals, VFX, star cast, and marketing. From the upcoming epic Ramayana to the runaway success of RRR, here’s an in-depth look at the nine beefiest-budgeted Indian films—why they cost so much, and whether they delivered value on screen.

Ramayana (2026)

Budget: ₹4,000 crore (~$500 million)
Why it’s expensive: Producer Namit Malhotra is financing this two-part retelling of the Ramayana entirely from personal funds. With a stellar ensemble—including Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Amitabh Bachchan, Sai Pallavi, and Sunny Deol—it’s designed as an international spectacle 
What to expect: Cutting-edge technology, grand mythological sets, and Diwali 2026 release for Part 1. It sets a bold new benchmark in Indian filmmaking.

Kalki 2898 AD (2024)

Budget: ₹600 crore
Directed by Nag Ashwin and starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan, this sci-fi futuristic epic has VFX by high-end Hollywood teams. It’s the priciest Indian film to hit theaters so far

RRR (2022)

Budget: ₹550 crore
SS Rajamouli’s period action-drama starring N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan became the most expensive Indian film at its time  With around 2,800 VFX shots produced by 18 studios, it grossed over ₹1,200 crore worldwide and earned an Oscar for “Naatu Naatu

 2.0 (2018)

Budget: ₹400–600 crore (most estimates hover around ₹570 crore)
Shankar’s sci-fi sequel starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar is renowned for groundbreaking VFX and animatronics, cementing its reputation as one of the costliest Indian films then. It earned around ₹800 crore globally 

Adipurush (2023)

Budget: ₹500–700 crore
This modern retelling of the Ramayana starring Prabhas faced huge expectations. Although initial investments were ₹500–600 crore, backlash over VFX forced additional reshoots and CGI enhancements—pushing its cost toward ₹700 crore. It didn’t fully recover at the box office, bringing in around ₹388 crore

Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022)

Budget: ₹375–410 crore
Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy adventure starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Amitabh Bachchan is India’s first attempt at a franchise-driven cinematic universe. Extensive VFX and production design made it one of Bollywood’s priciest films

Ponniyin Selvan: Parts I & II (2022–23)

Budget: Combined ₹500 crore
Mani Ratnam’s historical epic, based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel, brought to life early Chola dynasty lore with lavish sets and a star-studded cast. Both chapters combined had an estimated ₹500 crore budget 

Pushpa 2: The Rule (Projected 2025)

Budget: ₹400–500 crore (estimated)
The sequel to Pushpa: The Rise starring Allu Arjun, expected in 2025, continues the trend of high-cost Telugu dramas. Major spend is going into action choreography and stylized direction.

Singham Again / Bade Miyan Chote Miyan / Saaho / Kanguva (₹300–375 crore)

Certain big-budget Hindi spectacles round out the list:

Singham Again (₹350–375 crore) – Rohit Shetty’s cop-universe entry starring Akshay Kumar 

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (₹350 crore) – High-action film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar with Akshay Kumar & Tiger Shroff 

Saaho (₹300–350 crore) – Prabhas-led multilingual heist thriller with grand artistic scope 

Kanguva (₹300–350 crore) – Suriya’s Tamil historical-action project (2024) 

Why These Budgets?

High budgets in modern Indian cinema often go toward:

VFX & CGI – Especially sci-fi/fantasy epics.

Star Salaries – A-listers like Prabhas, Ram Charan, Ranbir Kapoor, and NTR Jr. command huge fees.

Global Production Values – Hollywood-grade technicians, overseas shoots, and immersive sound stages.

Franchise Potential – Recoupment comes from worldwide licensing, OTT, and brand tie-ins.

The rise in mega-budget Indian films—from 2.0 to Ramayana—marks a transformative era. While such investments carry risk (as Adipurush showed), they're increasingly delivering cultural impact and box-office dominance. The global appetite for Indian storytelling is here, and it’s fueling sky-high budgets and epic spectacle.