Rajamouli Knows the Game Better for Varanasi

SS Rajamouli’s upcoming magnum opus Varanasi, which stars Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu in the lead role, is hands down the most eagerly anticipated upcoming film from India cinema because of the mammoth expectations across the globe. While the team has been silently working on its production, film circles are buzzing with unfounded rumours around the staggering budget.

As per these speculations, the estimated budget has spilled beyond the initial estimation and turned into a matter of concern for the team, especially given a sharp downturn in the OTT market where streaming rights are no longer fetching the expected prices like it was previously when the market was booming. The rumours claimed that Rajamouli and his team are exploring the possibilities to reduce the budget through cost cutting measures.

However, the ground reality appears to be quite contrasting given that Rajamouli is a master in such dynamics. Besides establishing an unprecedented track record where his brand value alone ensures massive hype among trade circles. Long before a single frame hits theater screens, global theatrical distribution rights, satellite deals, audio rights, and international territory packages are locked in at premium, record-breaking prices for his films.

With Varanasi carrying humongous expectations and the title teaser shooting the hype through the roof, there is no way that all these budget equations going to stop the film from reaching its full potential once it hits the screens. Moreover, Rajamouli is known for taking calculated risks in a manner that will recoup the investments and puts his producers in safe zone.

Even if the OTT market is experiencing a temporary correction right now, Varanasi is billed as a global project designed to penetrate deeper into Western and Asian markets than any Indian film before it. The sheer scale of pre-release business ensures that the producers recover their core investments well ahead of the release day.

More than the Indian markets, Rajamouli is planning a global reach bigger than his previous outings with Varanasi. He knows very well the pulse of audiences and also how market keeps changing. So, all these baseless reports about budget appear to be a part of a targeted campaign and nothing else.

But, it would be ideal for the team also to make some noise as lack of content for a considerable amount of time leads to such unwanted negative rumours on films and even SS Rajamouli’s project is not immune for such campaigns.