Varanasi: SS Rajamouli Becomes Highest Paid Indian Director Without Taking Any Direct Remuneration For Mahesh Babu Starrer

SS Rajamouli is bringing his next, titled Varanasi, to the global audiences. While the director's previous works - the Baahubali franchise and RRR - reached international movie buffs long after its India release, Varanasi is being planned for a worldwide theatrical launch. While Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran are familiar faces for the Indian diaspora settled abroad, Priyanka Chopra's presence in the big ticket entertainer is expected to help Varanasi gain ground in Hollywood.

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The team has announced that the movie will release in April next year and the concept teaser has already been well received. Varanasi is said to be one of the most expensive Indian films made so far and the budget is grand even by Rajamouli's standards. Reportedly, ₹1000 crore is being invested in the project to make it appealing to international audiences. The director has confirmed that IMAX cameras have also been used to film specific portions in the movie. 

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Given the grand scale on which Varanasi is being mounted, the reported remunerations of the cast members and Rajamouli are also being heavily speculated upon. As per a new report, the Baahubali director has let go of any direct salary for the film. Instead, he is said to be opting for the overseas theatrical rights as his paycheck. The film’s offshore theatrical rights are reportedly valued at around ₹160 crore, and the number could go higher if the trailer and other promotional material land correctly. If this turns out to be true, it will mark the highest remuneration ever received by a director in Indian cinema. Rajamouli's salary for directing Varanasi would then be higher than paychecks of India's leading stars like Rajinikanth, Thalapathy Vijay, Shah Rukh Khan and other A-listers.