'Baahubali' producer reveals ₹25-30 lakh daily filming cost amid re-release
What's the story
Shobu Yarlagadda, the producer of the Baahubali franchise, recently revealed the daily production cost for the epic saga. Speaking to Gulte Pro, he said that each day of shooting was costing them lakhs. The global blockbuster is set to return to theaters on Friday, October 31, as a single film combining both parts of the story.
Budget negotiations
Rajamouli was open to compromising some aspects
Yarlagadda also shared insights into his discussions with director S.S. Rajamouli about the film's budget. He said that while Rajamouli sometimes agreed to budget compromises, it wasn't always the case. "Nonetheless, there will be instances when he says, 'I won't compromise on this.'" To explain his statement, he cited an incident involving the Manohari item song, where they initially planned to feature a big star but eventually decided against it due to rising expenses.
Production details
Yarlagadda shared insights into production costs
Yarlagadda revealed, "We spent ₹25-30 lakh per day, and it spanned a 30-40 day schedule." "In between, we paused the shoot for a day to discuss the costs. This is just the production I am referencing, not including CGI or other expenses." He said the team couldn't compromise much, so they continued filming with some "tightening and optimisations."
Previsualization expenses
Previsualization and hiring bodybuilders for war scenes
Yarlagadda also revealed that while shooting for Part 1, they didn't previsualize due to cost or unfamiliarity with the concept. However, for Part 2, they went to Los Angeles to previsualize the entire war sequence which cost around ₹2 crore alone. He added that they hired bodybuilders from Vizag as warriors when 500-600 people were needed and charged a reasonable amount. Meanwhile, the film starred Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Ramya Krishnan.