In Telugu cinema, there are two numbers that always get people talking: box office collections and director fees. This week, it is the second number that has set industry insiders buzzing — and the figure being whispered in trade circles is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
₹30 crore. For a director making only his second film.
Welcome to the Buchi Babu Sana economy — and the debate it has just ignited across Tollywood.
From ₹2 Crore to ₹30 Crore — In Just One Film
Let’s put this in perspective first, because the numbers tell a story all by themselves.
For his debut blockbuster Uppena — featuring newcomers and produced on a modest budget of around ₹30 crore — Buchi Babu is believed to have earned around ₹2–3 crore.
Reasonable. Fair. A first-time director proving himself on a small-budget love story. Nobody complained.
Then Ram Charan called.
Industry sources claim that the young filmmaker has taken home nearly ₹30 crore as remuneration for handling the story, screenplay, dialogues and direction of the Ram Charan-starrer Peddi — an extraordinary figure for a director making only his second film.
One film. One phone call from one superstar. And Buchi Babu’s fee jumped by 10 to 15 times.
That is not a salary hike. That is a complete transformation of status — overnight.
The Man Who Wrote the Cheque Had Zero Doubts
Before the debate begins, let’s give credit where it is due. Someone had to believe hard enough to sign off on that number — and that someone is producer Satish.
Producer Satish placed immense faith in Buchi Babu’s vision and backed the project without hesitation.
That is the kind of producer-director trust that built careers in this industry. Satish saw something in Buchi Babu after Uppena — a voice, a vision, a storytelling instinct — and decided to back it all the way with one of Telugu cinema’s biggest stars and a budget to match.
Peddi was reportedly mounted on a staggering budget of nearly ₹300 crore — and Buchi Babu’s paycheck appears to have grown in proportion to the film’s scale.
₹300 crore film. ₹30 crore director. Roughly 10% of the entire budget going to the man holding the vision. On paper, that logic holds.
But Here Is the Uncomfortable Question
Tollywood’s biggest commercial directors — the names everyone knows — earn in a certain range.
Established commercial directors such as Boyapati Srinu, Sukumar and Anil Ravipudi are said to command remuneration in the range of ₹40–50 crore per project.
So Buchi Babu, on his second film, is now knocking on the door of the same fee bracket as Sukumar — the man who gave us Arya, 1-Nenokkadine and Pushpa. The same bracket as Boyapati Srinu, who has delivered blockbuster after blockbuster for decades.
If reports are accurate, Buchi Babu has already moved close to that elite bracket with just his second feature film.
Is that a testament to his talent? Absolutely. Is it also a little bit insane? The industry seems to think so — which is precisely why everyone is talking.
The Ram Charan Effect — How One Star Changed Everything
Here is the real secret behind the number — and it has less to do with Buchi Babu’s resume and everything to do with whose name is on the poster.
Industry observers point out that Ram Charan’s approval of the script significantly elevated the project’s scale and market value. Once the star came on board, everything else reportedly fell into place — including the director’s impressive remuneration package.
This is how Tollywood works, and everyone knows it. A script that a B-grade hero agrees to is worth one amount. The exact same script with Ram Charan attached is worth ten times that. The director who wrote it suddenly becomes ten times more valuable — not because he changed a word, but because of whose name is now above the title.
Buchi Babu did not just sell his second film. He sold his second film to Ram Charan — and that made all the difference.
The Elephant in the Room: Mixed Reviews and an Apology
And now for the part that makes this story genuinely complicated.
The reported remuneration has sparked discussion in industry circles, especially after the film received a mixed response from audiences and critics.
A ₹30 crore director fee is easy to defend when the film is a blockbuster. It is much harder to justify when the audience verdict is lukewarm.
The director also recently issued an apology following criticism over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character in the film.
A public apology. From a director who just earned ₹30 crore. That combination has given the trade plenty to chew on — and plenty of keyboard warriors plenty to type about.
So — Was It Worth It?
That is the question with no clean answer.
Buchi Babu is genuinely talented. Uppena proved he can move audiences. The fact that Ram Charan — one of the most discerning stars in the business — trusted him with a ₹300 crore project says something real about his abilities.
But ₹30 crore is a number that comes with expectations. And when those expectations meet a mixed verdict and a public apology, the industry takes note.
The real test is not Peddi. The real test is Film Three. If Buchi Babu delivers a monster hit next, nobody will remember this debate. If he struggles, the ₹30 crore question will follow him for years.
Tollywood rewards results. The clock is already ticking.
