Varanasi Movie's Ramayana connection revealed; Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra's staggering paycheck: Who is earning the most in SS Rajamouli's magnum opus?

Varanasi the film update: Maverick filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s upcoming magnum opus ‘Varanasi’ brings together a casting dream of Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles, with the screenplay written by Rajamouli’s father V Vijayendra Prasad. With the release due only on Sankranti 2027, the hype around the movie is palpable. The globetrotting action adventure rooted in Indian cultural themes, drawing inspiration from the structure and emotional tone of classic adventure cinema. Recently, Rajamouli also explained the connection of his movie Varanasi with Ramayana.

Varanasi Movie’s Ramayana connection

Speaking to Polygon, the director said, “All my films are inspired by the epics of (Lord) Rama.” He further added, “In this film, I have a chance to actually take an actual episode from the Ramayana itself and present it in this way.”

He added, “It is my job to make you not feel lost, to make the film in such a way that it’s not taxing your mind.” He added, “You might not understand the whole story of Rama, but there is no need to. If you understand the emotions of the characters, you’ll understand what is happening.”

Based on several media reports, let’s take a look at the salaries of lead actors and filmmaker from magnum opus Varanasi. 

(Note: None of the figures mentioned are official. All data is based on general media reports)

ALSO READ: Varanasi Movie Cast Salary: How Much Are SS Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu To Priyanka Chopra Charging For Rs 1200 Crore+ Magnum Opus 2027 Release

Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Fee

Prithviraj usually charges Rs 4-10 crores for a film, as per Financial Express report. His exact renumeration for Varanasi is not known, however, DNA reports he is allegedly taking home more than Rs 10 crore.

Priyanka Chopra’s Salary

Priyanka Chopra has become the highest-paid Indian actress with Varanasi. Reportedly, she has charged Rs 30 crore for the movie, making her race past Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt. 

Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi Salary

According to News18, Mahesh Babu usually charges Rs 100–150 crore per film. He is reportedly earning Rs 50 crore per year, totalling Rs 150 crore as fixed remuneration ( for 3-year period allotted for the movie). The actor has allegedly negotiated a 20% profit share, taking his overall earnings to over Rs 250 crore.

SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi Fee

The maverick filmmaker, who is India’s highest-paid directors, will not be charging any penny for the movie. Yes, but wait, that’s because the filmmaker will have a profit-sharing deal, reportedly.

The noted Telugu filmmaker known for his epic, action and fantasy genre films usually earns around Rs 200 crore per film as per IMDb.

Varanasi – Most Expensive Film

This is going to be Mahesh Babu’s 29th film as a lead actor. It is being made a whopping budget of Rs 1,200 crore (US$140 million) excluding marketing, set to be second-most-expensive Indian film of all time after Ramayana.