Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu is reportedly made on a production cost of just Rs 28 crore, even as industry buzz suggests the film’s overall budget touched Rs 200 crore. The claim was recently confirmed by director Anil Ravipudi, who is known for mounting commercial entertainers on controlled budgets and turning them into box office winners. What caught attention, however, was the striking contrast between the modest production cost and the widely reported Rs 200 crore budget figure, raising eyebrows on how much did the actors charge for the film.
In a recent interview with Great Andhra, Anil Ravipudi revealed, “The film-making cost was between Rs 28 crore and Rs 30 crore.” When asked how it was possible to mount such a lavish film within that budget, he clarified, “As far as I know, we didn’t even touch the Rs 30 crore mark. It was below that.”
He further admitted that a portion of the budget was lost due to unavoidable circumstances. “My target was Rs 25 crore, but we wasted around Rs 3 crore. We lost about Rs 1.5 crore on a song set that got damaged due to unexpected rainfall, and we had to rebuild it. There were also losses due to date clashes. On some days, there were strikes in the state, which forced us to extend the shoot by five days. Initially, the shoot was planned for 82 days, but it stretched to 87 days. This is how we lost around Rs 3 to 4 crore,” he explained.
Talking about efficient planning, Anil shared how the team managed to achieve scale without overspending. “We set up the library and the house. For the house exteriors, we rented a resort near Shamshabad, which cost us around Rs 8 to 9 lakh per day. That was the location cost. Many important scenes were shot in those exterior portions.”
While the filmmaker is known for working with controlled budgets, he stressed that he never compromises where quality demands spending. “I spend whenever and wherever the movie needs it. Wherever I can cut costs, I do that. We built the house interiors and even constructed the entire street set. Another factor that was in my control was the speed of filmmaking,” he said.
Explaining further, Anil added, “While I cannot shorten the film, I can speed up the shooting process. That helps control the budget. Because we finished the shoot in 85 days, the overall cost remained under control.”
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‘When remuneration is high, production cost needs to be controlled’
Without confirming the Rs 200 crore budget buzz, the filmmaker smartly addressed the issue of big stars commanding hefty fees. Maintaining, Mana Shankara was a high budget film, Anil shared: “There is one simple rule. If remuneration is high, the production budget should be controlled. If the production budget is high, then the remuneration should be adjusted. If both are high, it creates problems. Cost failure is equal to committing suicide. I never go into that space,” he stated.
He also revealed that he always plans his films in a way that ensures financial safety even before release. “I mostly try to make sure that the film reaches its breakeven point, if not profit, before release. I always set a financial target for my films,” he said.
Talking about Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’s performance, Anil added, “Even if the remuneration is high in this film, the quality has not suffered. That was possible because everything was well planned and within budget. I made sure our producers were happy even before release. Now, after release, everyone is happy because of the film’s performance. The audience made it a tremendous success.”
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‘Chiranjeevi film was a challenge’
Comparing the film with his previous Sankranti release, Sankranti Vastunnam (2025), Anil said the 2026 Chiranjeevi starrer posed a bigger challenge. “I made Sankranti Vastunnam with a budget of around Rs 55 crore. It wasn’t difficult to make it profitable because it was made on a low budget. But making the current film profitable was a big challenge because it is a high-budget film. The fact that it has turned profitable for producers, exhibitors, and distributors is a huge achievement for me. The audience gave it a great reception.”
In the same interview, he also spoke about budgeting films based on star power and market value. “Whenever we calculate numbers, it is always based on the hero’s stamina and market value. You have to ask yourself — does Chiranjeevi have the stamina to bring back this kind of revenue? Numbers are very important,” he concluded.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu box office
Despite getting an unusual Monday release on January 12, the Chiranjeevi-starrer emerged as the only true Sankranti saviour of the year, especially after Prabhas’ Rs 450 crore horror-comedy The Raja Saab failed to meet audience expectations. The film opened to a strong Rs 43 crore collection in India and went on to cross the Rs 200 crore mark at the domestic box office within just 11 days of its release. According to the makers, the film has now surpassed the Rs 300 crore milestone at the worldwide box office.
