Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra has been called a hit at the box office but things are still hazy when it comes to its real collection and the profit it made. While many have dubbed it a blockbuster, others are still not convinced, thanks to the film’s enormous budget.

There is speculation that the film is made on a budget of ₹650 crores and not ₹400 crores, a figure that has been floating everywhere since the film was still in production. There is also some conjecture on whether lead stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt had to forsake their salaries because of the mounting bills for VFX. Now, Ayan has responded to the same.

Speaking with trade analyst Komal Nahta about the same Ayan threw in some vague explanation. It was Ranbir Kapoor who was asked the question but Ayan chose to answer it instead, “The truth is that the film has been made because of a lot of personal sacrifices. It is true that the amount that Ranbir would make as a star actor, he didn’t take anything for the making of Brahmastra. This is a very, very big thing because it would not be possible to make this film.”

Ayan also spoke about Alia, “When she joined the film, this was 2014, she only had a couple of releases. She isn’t the star that she is today. The amount that was fixed for Alia in this film was not very big, but even that small amount, by the time we completed the film, even Alia said that all of it has gone into the making of the film.”

Ranbir, however, gave a clearer answer. “Aapne jo prashna pucha ki Maine Kuch charge Kiya ya nhi Kiya, actually Maine Kiya (You asked if I charged anything or not, actually I did). This is equity I have for life, I’m also the part producer of the film. Meri nazariya aur soch long run hai (I am thinking more long term). Maine part one me paese nhi liye (I didn’t charge for part 1) but eventually jo faith aur belief hai ki 3 parts m jo yeh film Bana Sakti hai (but the faith that I have about the amount that the film will make over three parts), that is beyond anything I’d get as an actor, price as an actor.

Previously, Ranbir had explained that the figure of ₹650 crores that was being floated as Brahmastra Part 1-Shiva’s budget is actually spread over three films of the franchise. In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Ranbir said, “These days, we are reading a lot where people are discussing the budget of the film. People are saying this much is the budget and this much is the recovery. But Brahmastra is unique being where the budget is not just for one film but for the whole trilogy.”