Much has been said and written about SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film ‘Varanasi’, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj in lead roles. The film, which is already a year into its production, has already generated significant buzz, not just for its scale, but also for its rumoured budget. The much-anticipated project, is reportedly mounted on a staggering budget of Rs 1,400 crore, setting it up among the most expensive Indian films of all time. As per a report on Variety, which profiled Priyanka as their cover star, the film has an estimated budget of USD 150 million.

‘Varanasi’ film budget revealed

While the budget is huge for an Indian film, however, the same report goes on to state that Chopra’s last web series, the spy thriller ‘Citadel’, had a much larger budget. As per the report, Prime Video reportedly shelled out a whopping USD 300 million, estimated Rs 2,500 crore just to film Season 1, which comprised of 6 episodes. This makes the Russo Brothers-backed show nearly twice as expensive as ‘Varanasi’ and one of the priciest television series ever produced.According to Collider, each episode of the spy show costs an estimated USD 50 million, only USD 8 million shy of the platform’s most expensive show – ‘The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’.

‘Varanasi’ to mark Priyanka Chopra’s return to Indian cinema

‘Varanasi’ marks Chopra’s return to Indian cinema after her Hollywood stints. While plot details remain tightly under wraps, the film has been described as a sweeping time-travel cinematic spectacle. It also boasts of an epic 25-minute Ramayana battle scene. Meanwhile, ‘Citadel’ season 2, which stars Chopra opposite Richard Madden, is reportedly awaiting its release. It remains to be seen if the project will release this year, considering the Russo Brothers’ packed schedule, with ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ set for a December 2026 release.