India, June 18 -- Even as Indian films are increasing reliance on VFX and CGI, the old-fashioned way of building massive sets has not gone away completely. New filmmakers are building massive sets for their films, often to avoid travel, and sometimes to lend the authenticity that VFX cannot. One upcoming film has a huge city-sized set that costs Rs.50 crore, the highest for any single set in Indian cinema history.

SS Rajamouli is currently filming his upcoming pan-India magnum opus with Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra. Tentatively titled SSMB29, the film is a fantasy action adventure, part of which is set in Varanasi. Rajamouli has reportedly recreated the entire city of Kashi, with its ghats and temples, in Hyderabad, as filming in the ...