When Sanjay Leela Bhansali Invested 50% Of Devdas’ Budget In Sets – News18

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s one of the cult classic films is Devdas, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1917 novel by the same name. The film was known for its extravagant sets with scenes like the saree catching fire, the dances and the perfect songs complementing the moving narration. Headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit, Devdas emerged to be a huge hit at the box office. But did you know? 50 per cent of the film’s budget was spent on sets alone.

Take any Sanjay Leela Bhansali film and the audience will remember it for its grand sets with intricate details. He is known to offer larger-than-life experiences to his audience and leave them enthralled. Devdas, a periodic romantic drama, was one of the most expensive films of 2002.

Apart from the three stars, the film also starred Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher, Smita Jaykar, and Vijayendra Ghatge. To date, it is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made in the history of cinema.

As per the Box Office India, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film was made on a budget of Rs 44 crore. Almost Rs 20 crore was splurged on the breathtaking sets alone. Chandramukhi’s Kotha had a budget of Rs 12 crore. Meanwhile, about Rs 3 crore was spent on 1.2 lakh pieces of stained glasses at Paro’s house. The other expenses included the attires, especially Madhuri Dixit’s, which was priced at Rs 15 lakhs each. For Aishwarya Rai’s Paro, about 600 sarees were brought. Seven hundred lightmen and 42 generators were used on the sets of Devdas.

Devdas created a storm at the box office and the financial risk ultimately paid off as the audience was mesmerised by the beauty of the shots of Devdas. The film turned out to be the highest-grossing film of 2002 and collected around Rs 68.19 crore at the Indian box office. The film ended up charting history and set milestones for other films to come. The film’s worldwide earnings were Rs 99.87 crore.