During Priyanka Chopra's recent appearance on the hit TV show, 'The Great Indian Kapil Show', she was seen discussing 'Varanasi's' huge budget as well as her remuneration for the film.
Priyanka Chopra fans may already know that the global icon is preparing to return to the big screen in India after a long hiatus with the renowned director, SS Rajamouli's most anticipated upcoming project, Varanasi. Ever since the film's announcement, movie fanatics have been buzzing with excitement due to its grand scale. Initially, the film's reported budget was estimated at around Rs. 1300 crore. During her recent appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Priyanka herself confirmed the staggering numbers to be true. Following this revelation, many have started to wonder how much she is getting paid to appear in a big-budget film like Varanasi.
Filmmaker, SS Rajamouli announced the cast, title, first looks, and teaser for Varanasi at the Globetrotter Event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on November 15, 2025. While the film is slated to come out in 2027, even before its release, the Priyanka Chopra starrer has become the talk of the town, with many even trying to guess the film's total budget.
As the icon she is, Priyanka knew exactly what her fans wanted to hear, leading her to address Varanasi's budget during her recent appearance on season 4 of Kapil Sharma's hit TV show, The Great Indian Kapil Show. Here, she confirmed that the film reportedly has a staggering budget, amounting to a whopping Rs. 1300 crore. After hearing this, questions about her remuneration for the film lingered with the audience, but Priyanka chose to remain silent.
For the unversed, Varanasi is among the most expensive Indian films made to date. It ranks second only to Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1, which, according to reports, has an estimated budget of Rs. 2000 crore. However, within the Tollywood industry, Varanasi remains at the top of the list and is SS Rajamouli's costliest project to date. The film's staggering budget left host, Kapil Sharma visibly stunned, revealing an observation he has made. According to him, no job Priyanka Chopra undertakes is small, and everything she is part of is larger than life. He said:
“Even when she does a film, it is with Rajamouli sir, and we know that he makes big budget films.”
As the light-hearted banter between Kapil Sharma and Priyanka Chopra continued, Kapil jokingly asked her if any part of the film's Rs. 1300 crore would help provide jobs for the people of Varanasi. His remark elicited a hearty laugh from Priyanka. Even when Kapil further pressed her to answer if her entry into the upcoming film increased the project's budget, essentially suggesting that it could be because of her high fees, she did not lose her composure. Instead, she showed her ability to handle humour by responding:
“Are you trying to say that half the budget has gone into my bank account?”
Do you think Priyanka Chopra's entry into Varanasi has anything to do with the film's staggering Rs. 1300 crore budget? Let us know.
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