Top 10 Most Expensive Bollywood Movies

Bollywood movies are synonymous with extravaganza. Every movie in Bollywood has its identifiable charm in highlighting the glamorous side of life. Earlier they were made on a very tight budget. In the past few decades, crossing 100 crore mark is a no biggie. With major production houses and corporate getting on board, it’s not a wonder that the budgets are reaching the sky. Here are top 10 most expensive Bollywood movies.

1. Mother India (1957)

The greatest movie which created a niche in the history of Bollywood was this movie. Director 'Mehboob Khan' featured Nargis Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar in the leads. Made on a budget of ₹3.5 million (equivalent to ₹250 million in 2016) this movie was the most expensive of that era.

2. Sholay (1975)

Regarded as one of the most respectable movies ever made in Bollywood, on a budget of then ₹30 million (equivalent to ₹590 million in 2016). It starred Amitabh Bachchan, ‘Dharmendra’, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan. The movie was directed by Ramesh Sippy. When first released, Sholay received precarious reviews and not a highly esteemed response but publicity helped it to become a hit and breaking records for uninterrupted screenings in many theatres across India.

3. Lagaan (2001)

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, this 2000’s epic sports drama marked the beginning of Aamir Khan’s career as a producer where he played the protagonist as well. Made on a then-unparalleled budget of ₹250 million (₹700 million in 2016). The movie deserved critical acclaim and awards at various international as well as Indian film awards.

4. Mughal- E- Azam

An epic of 1960, Mughal-e-Azam was a historical Indian epic drama film by director K. Asif and production managed by Shapoorji Pallonji. Featuring ‘Prithviraj Kapoor’, Dilip Kumar and ‘Madhubala’ it screens the challenging love story between a Mughal Prince and a court dancer. Made on a budget of ₹10.5 million (which is now equivalent to US$9.8 million), the movie received wide appreciation. The lavish location, costumes and jewelry added to the already glamorous movie’s credit. Till date, it is considered a masterpiece.

5. Devdas

The 2002 Shah Rukh Khan starred Devdas was based on a story named Devdas written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, on a budget of 500 million and its estimated revenue was ₹840 million. It is said this movie marked the beginning of the box office collection estimation in Bollywood. It made way for Shah Rukh Khan’s career and is his finest performance.

6. Dhoom 3

Aamir Khan as the villain was the USP of this third installment in the Dhoom series. Directed with a budget of 1.75 billion, the movie was released worldwide. With the cast remaining the same, the movie had assistant and deputy directors, camera persons and stuntman coming from different parts of the world. Expensive props and an exotic location were a huge sell out for the movie. No wonder the movie made more than ₹5.36 billion in quick time.

7. Bajirao Mastani

The Magnum Opus of 2015, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bajirao Mastani ranks among top 10 most expensive movies of Bollywoodv made on a budget of ₹125 crores. His movies are prone to extravaganza so it’s not a wonder that two of his masterpieces were the most expensive movies ever made. Set in the backdrop of the 18th century of the Maratha period, this was an epic Indian historical romantic.

8. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

This Salman Khan starred larger than life movie was 2015’s highest grosser. Made on a budget of ₹125 crores, it broke all the records making ₹400 crore at the box office. It was an Indian romantic drama film, directed by Sooraj Barjatya.

9. PK

The 2014 Aamir Khan starred PK- an Indian science fiction satirical film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and featured Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput and Boman Irani in leads. It is about an alien who arrives on Earth on a research mission from a different planet. He is amazed by the duality of people. The film critically challenges the superstitions acts and religious belief. Made on a budget of ₹85 crores, it had a box office collection of ₹792 crores. It was the first Indian film to gross ₹630 crores worldwide.

10. Sultan

Sultan is a 2016 Indian sports drama by director Ali Abbas Zafar and production managed by Aditya Chopra. It is a fictional story of a wrestling champ hailing from Haryana whose prosperous career creates estrangement in his personal life. Anushka Sharma played the lead. The film grossed approximately ₹584 crores worldwide while being made on a budget of ₹70 crores.