Updated on: Dec 22, 2025 01:06 pm IST
On The Great Indian Kapil Show, Kapil Sharma asked Priyanka Chopra about the massive budget of SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi and her salary.
Actor Priyanka Chopra was the first guest on the new season of Netflix’s The Great Indian Kapil Show, hosted by Kapil Sharma. In the episode, Kapil asked Priyanka about the massive budget of her comeback Indian film, SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, and whether her salary had driven it up. Priyanka played coy about her paycheck while seemingly confirming the film’s budget. (Also Read: Mahesh Babu trains in ancient martial art Kalaripayattu for SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi; trainer calls actor ‘inspiring’)
Priyanka Chopra on Varanasi’s budget and her paycheck
Kapil pointed out in the episode that everything Priyanka tends to do is larger-than-life, and she doesn’t do anything small. He then said, “And now she’s working with Rajamouli saab, and we all know about his budgets. But I’ve heard that because Priyanka is in the film, its budget stands at ₹1300 crore.”
Even as the audience seemed in awe of the number, Priyanka simply said “Haan (Yes)” with a smile on her face. “So will these ₹1300 crore be spent on just making the film or are you providing jobs to the people of Varanasi also?” joked Kapil, adding, “But, I heard that this wasn’t the initial budget and that it increased once you came on board.”
Priyanka looked sceptical of that, asking Kapil if he thought half of the budget had been sent to her bank account. When Kapil said, “It’s obvious,” she asked him, “Matlab aap ulta naak pakadne ki koshish kar rahe hain? (Are you trying to pin it on me?)”
When Navjot Singh Sidhu tried to dig into the film’s plot, Kapil joked about how nobody found out why Katappa killed Baahubali before the second part, so there’s no use trying.
About Varanasi
SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi quietly went on floors in January this year and was officially announced only in November at a grand event held in Ramoji Film City. The film stars Mahesh Babu as Rudhra, Priyanka as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha. Slated for release during Sankranthi 2027, the film is an adventure drama that spans continents and time.
