Ram Charan slashes fees for 'Game Changer'—but still charged ₹65cr
What's the story
The upcoming political drama Game Changer, starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, is dominating headlines—especially due to its extravagant budget. In a bid to ease the financial burden on producers, Charan and director S Shankar have reportedly slashed their fees. Shankar reportedly charged ₹35 crore, while Charan, who was commanding ₹100 crore per film post the success of RRR, agreed to take ₹65 crore, per GreatAndhra.
Budget details
'Game Changer' production costs and co-star earnings
The production of Game Changer has been reportedly mounted on a whopping ₹450 crore budget. A large chunk of this budget, ₹75 crore, went into the making of just four songs in the film, director Shankar earlier revealed. Advani was reportedly paid ₹5 to 7 crore for her role in the film. However, the makers have not officially confirmed these figures yet. SJ Suryah is also part of the ensemble cast, though the details of his fee remain undisclosed.
Musical investment
Take a look at 'Game Changer' songs
The film's music label, Saregama, defended the exorbitant price of the songs by emphasizing their large-scale production. The song Jaragandi, choreographed by Prabhu Deva, was shot with 600 dancers over 13 days on a gigantic 70-foot village set. The costumes for this number were eco-friendly, made from jute. Meanwhile, Raa Macha Macha, choreographed by Ganesh Acharya, featured 1K dancers. This track is a tribute to folk dance and celebrates India's rich cultural diversity.
Innovation
'Naanaa Hyraanaa' and 'Dhop': Unique filming techniques and locations
Naanaa Hyraanaa also makes the distinction of being the first Indian song to be shot with an infrared camera. Shot in New Zealand, the production cost also added to the music budget. The fourth song, Dhop—choreographed by Jani Master—had 100 Russian dancers and was shot in eight days. Game Changer is set to hit screens on January 10 on the occasion of Sankranti and features Charan in dual roles as a father and his son.