Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu It was reportedly made at a production cost of just Rs 28 million, even as industry rumors suggest that the film’s overall budget reached Rs 200 million. The claim was recently confirmed by director Anil Ravipudi, known for setting up 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 budget figure of Rs 200 million, raising eyebrows over how much the actors were paid for the film.
In a recent interview with Great Andhra, Anil Ravipudi revealed, “The cost of making the film was around Rs 28-30 crore.” When asked how it was possible to put together such a lavish film within that budgetHe 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 25 crores, but we wasted around 3 crores. We lost around 1.5 crores on a song set which was damaged due to unexpected rain and we had to rebuild it. There were also losses due to date conflicts. 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 was extended to 87 days. This is how we lost between 3 and 4 crores,” he explained.
Talking about efficient planning, Anil shared how the team managed to achieve scale without spending too much. “We set up the library and the house. For the exteriors of the house, we rented a compound near Shamshabad, which cost us Rs 8-9 lakh per day. That was the location cost. Many important scenes were shot in those exterior parts.”
Although the filmmaker is known for working with controlled budgets, he stressed that he never makes concessions when quality demands expense. “I spend when and where the film needs it. Whenever I can cut costs, I do. We built the interiors of the houses and even built the entire street set. Another factor that was under my control was the speed of filming,” he said.
Anil further explained, “Though I can’t shorten the film, I can speed up the filming process. This helps control the budget. As we completed the shoot in 85 days, the total cost remained under control.”
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“When remuneration is high, it is necessary to control production costs”
Without confirming the rumors about the Rs 200 crore budget, the filmmaker smartly addressed the issue of big stars charging high fees. Maintaining that Mana Shankara was a high-budget film, Anil shared, “There is a simple rule. If the 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 tantamount to suicide. I never enter that space,” he stated.
He also revealed that he always plans his films in a way that ensures financial security even before their release. “I mainly try to make sure the film breaks even, if not profit, before its release. I always set a financial goal for my films,” he said.
Talking about the performance of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, Anil added, “Even if the remuneration is high in this film, the quality has not suffered. This was possible because everything was well planned and within the budget. I made sure that our producers were happy even before the release. Now after the release, everyone is happy about the performance of the film. The audience made it a tremendous hit.”
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‘Chiranjeevi’s 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 was not 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 become profitable for producers, exhibitors and distributors is a big achievement for me. The audience gave it a great reception.”
In the same interview, he also talked about film budgeting based on star power and market value. “Whenever we crunch numbers, we always go by the stamina of the hero and the market value. You have to ask yourself: Does Chiranjeevi have the stamina to earn back this kind of income? Numbers are very important,” he concluded.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu Box Office
Despite having a rare release on Monday, January 12, the Chiranjeevi starrer emerged as the year’s only true Sankranti savior, especially after Prabhas’ Rs 450 crore horror-comedy The Raja Saab failed to live up to audience expectations. The film opened with a strong collection of Rs 43 crore in India and crossed the Rs 200 crore mark at the domestic box office just 11 days after its release. According to the makers, the film has crossed the Rs 300 crore milestone at the global box office.