One of the Tollywood directors said off the record that Pushpa 2 wasted a lot of money due to delays, buying extra call sheets for actors, and paying interests, along with an extended shooting tenure of about three years.
The film reportedly incurred a budget of around Rs 450 crore as per the makers, but it could have been completed for a meager Rs 100 crore if planned meticulously, he opined.
"The film could have been completed in 90 days of shoot time. There are no heavy graphics works other than for some action stunts. So, the post-production could also have been completed easily with proper attention to dubbing activities since it's a pan-India film. By all means, the film could have been completed and ready for release within six months. At that level, the cost would not have exceeded Rs 100 crore for making, excluding the director and hero's remuneration," the director said.
"The makers could have seen more profits, the hero could have earned more than Rs 240 crore, and the director could have made a much fatter paycheck. The ROI ratio would also have been far more impressive," he continued.
"Sukumar wasted many scenes that were shot, leading to a gross wastage of the producers' money that didn’t reflect on screen. We know that the makers released a trailer much earlier where Pushpa encounters a tiger. But those scenes were no where seen in Pushpa 2. That's gross wastage. Sukumar is talented but not good at planning," the director concluded.
