To make any film visually appealing, the most important aspect is VFX, which stands for Visual Effects. In today’s time, we all want to experience something extraordinary in movies, for which VFX works perfectly. In Indian movies, technology is not used as extensively as in Hollywood, mainly because VFX and CGI require a significant budget. However, in recent years, the trend of VFX has significantly increased the budgets of Indian movies. In this blog, I will tell you about such best VFX movies in India that offer us something new and unique experiences.
In this blog, I will do my best to provide you with an understanding of the visual effects (VFX) used in various films. I will give you insights into the number of VFX shots and the companies responsible for creating those effects in each film.
Top 10 Best VFX Movies in India
10] Zero
Movie Budget- 200 crore
VFX Shots- 2325
VFX Company- Red Chillies VFX.
“Zero” is a 2018 Bollywood film directed by Aanand L. Rai and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Katrina Kaif. It tells the story of Bauua Singh, a man of short stature who falls in love with two women. One notable aspect of the movie is its outstanding visual effects (VFX), skillfully crafted by Red Chillies VFX.
Despite the film’s lackluster performance at the box office, its visuals have been widely praised, leaving no room for criticism. The entire crew, including the talented VFX artists, dedicated significant effort to ensure the film’s visual excellence. For instance, they filmed a particular scene in five different ways to seamlessly depict Shah Rukh Khan’s reduced size. As a result, the movie showcases fantastic visuals throughout, including captivating astronaut sequences.
The VFX usage in “Zero” is tastefully done, without appearing excessive, contributing to the overall excellence of the film’s visual effects. Furthermore, there are no instances of artificial-looking scenes; every frame maintains a high level of authenticity. Thus, “Zero” stands as one of the best VFX movies in India.
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9] Tumbbad
Movie Budget- 5 crore
VFX Shots- [No information]
VFX Companies- Rhinestonevfx Pvt Ltd ,Filmgate Films
Tumbbad is considered one of the top-notch VFX movies in India. It came out in 2018 and is a horror film directed by Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad. The movie features talented actors like Sohum Shah, Jyoti Malshe, Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar, Anita Date, and Deepak Damle.
Tumbbad tells a captivating story about a cursed family and a mythical demon named Hastar, who is believed to grant wealth to those who worship him. The film’s visual effects, created by the skilled team at Filmgate Films, a Mumbai-based VFX studio, add a whole new level of awesomeness to the movie. They used a mix of practical effects and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to bring the stunning visuals to life.
The VFX shots in Tumbbad are truly mind-blowing. From the creation of a realistic-looking Hastar to animating a swarm of rats and even depicting a lifelike monsoon rain, the visual effects seamlessly blend into the film. They enhance the overall viewing experience, leaving the audience mesmerized.
What makes Tumbbad even more impressive is that it accomplished such incredible visual effects with a relatively small budget of 5 crores. The talented VFX team showcased their creativity and skills by delivering outstanding visuals within the limited resources. Tumbbad is undoubtedly among the best VFX movies in India, showcasing the remarkable talent and capabilities of Indian VFX artists.
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8] Shivaay
Movie Budget- 100 crore
VFX Shots- 4500
VFX Company- NY VFXWAALA
Shivaay, a movie released in 2016, is an exciting action thriller directed and produced by Ajay Devgn. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Sayyeshaa, Erika Kaar, Abigail Eames, and Vir Das in important roles. It tells the story of Shivaay, a skilled mountaineer who becomes a vigilante to protect his family.
The movie’s visual effects (VFX) were created by NY VFXWAALA, a visual effects company based in Mumbai, India. They have also worked on other popular Bollywood movies like Golmaal Again, Ching’s Chinese, and Theri. NY VFXWAALA has even released a video on their YouTube channel, breaking down the VFX used in Shivaay, showcasing the different visual effects in the film.
The trailer of Ajay Devgn’s action-packed thriller film, “Shivaay,” surprised everyone with its high-quality visuals when it was released in 2016. Although the movie’s storyline might not have been the strongest, its VFX left a lasting impact. The VFX throughout the entire film were well-balanced and skillfully executed. Unfortunately, many people didn’t fully appreciate the VFX work, leading to Shivaay’s VFX being underrated. Nonetheless, this film deserves recognition as one of the best VFX movies in India. Shivaay involved the creation of 4,500 VFX shots, with the VFX team handling six major sequences. Among these sequences, the best VFX was the thrilling avalanche sequence, along with Ajay Devgn’s powerful introduction as Shivaay, the Gora kidnapping, the bridge collapse, and the intense pre-climax scene.
7] Krrish 3
Movie Budget- 95 crore
VFX Shorts- 3500
VFX Company- Red Chillies VFX
Let’s discuss our very own Indian superhero, Krrish. The character in the movie is named Krrish, while the movie itself is called Krrish 3. In this film, it’s not just one character who possesses superpowers; there are multiple characters with different superpowers. The action scenes were breathtaking, and there were numerous thrilling sequences throughout. What’s even more remarkable is that all of this was accomplished within a budget of only 95 crores.
The movie showcased stunning visuals, including impressive depictions of collapsing buildings, all thanks to the exceptional utilization of VFX (Visual Effects). Krrish confronts various villains, each possessing their unique superpower, and the application of VFX to showcase the villains’ abilities was truly impressive. Despite the complexity of the visuals, the quality remained consistently high, all while adhering to a budget of just 95 crores. We must acknowledge Red Chillies VFX for their outstanding contributions to this movie.
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6] Robot [1&2]
Movie Budget- 150 crore [Part 1] & 570 crore [Part 2]
VFX Shots- Robot [1800] and Robot 2.0 [2150]
VFX Companies- TAU Films, Double Negative, The Third Floor, PhantomFX, Oyster Studios
Now, let’s talk about the two-part movie series called Robot and Robot 2.0 directed by director named S. Shankar. The movies star actors Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. Both movies have amazing special effects, and the first movie was released 13 years ago. It was unique and different from other Indian movies because sci-fi movies are not very common in India. The idea of the movie was new and needed a lot of special effects, which they did really well.
When Robot 2.0 came out, the special effects became even bigger and better. They spent a lot of money, 570 crores, to make the effects look amazing. In Robot 2.0, there were some incredible scenes, like the one with the eagle, which looked very realistic. However, some people felt that the final battle scene looked a bit like a cartoon. But, as I mentioned earlier, nothing is perfect, so this movie is still considered one of the best VFX movies in India.
5] Bahubali [1&2]
Movie Budget- 180 crore [Part 1] & 250 crore [Part 2]
VFX Shots- 2226 [Part 1] & 2500 [Part-2]
VFX Companies- Makuta VFX, Tau Films, and United Soft and many more.
Baahubali was one of the most expensive Indian films of its time, and its sequel broke that record. Prabhas’ fee for Baahubali was not very high, which allowed more money to be invested in the movie’s visuals. The effort put into the VFX of the movie is evident, and some scenes that used VFX are not easily recognizable. Both parts of Baahubali had impressive visuals, although they were not perfect because perfection is impossible. Some scenes clearly show the use of VFX, but overall, the visuals are awesome. That’s why Baahubali is considered one of the best VFX movies from India, even outside the country.
The VFX in Baahubali 1 and 2 were created by several companies, including Makuta VFX, Tau Films, and United Soft. They used a combination of practical effects like miniatures and animatronics, as well as CGI (computer-generated imagery) to bring the fantastical world of the movie to life. Some notable VFX scenes include the waterfall scene, the bull fight sequence, and the epic battle scenes.
In Bahubali 1, the waterfall scene was crafted using a mix of practical effects and CGI. Miniatures were used to create the waterfalls, and the surroundings were added in post-production. For Bahubali 2’s bull fight sequence, motion capture technology was employed. The actors performed the fight scene in a green screen environment, and the bulls were later added using CGI. The battle scenes in both films combined practical effects and CGI, featuring real actors and CGI characters in the armies.
The films went on to become the highest-grossing Indian films of all time and received numerous awards for their technical achievements, including the National Film Award for Best Special Effects
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4] RRR
Movie Budget- 550 crore
VFX Shots- 2800
VFX Companies- Digital Domain, ReDefine, Craft-VFX, and Alzahra Studio.
After the success of Baahubali, director S. S. Rajamouli is back with another movie called RRR. It’s an action drama set in the 1920s and tells the fictional story of two freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, who fought against the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad. RRR has a massive budget, even comparable to the combined budget of two Baahubali movies. With such a high budget of 550 crores, the movie had to deliver impressive visuals.
Thankfully, the visuals in RRR were indeed impressive, like the scene with the tiger. It looked so real and amazing. There were other scenes too, where VFX was used so well that the audience couldn’t even tell what was real and what was fake. This shows the quality of the visual effects. The attention to detail in RRR was commendable, making the visuals outstanding. There are many memorable scenes in the movie. The VFX work was handled by various studios, including Digital Domain, ReDefine, Craft-VFX, and Alzahra Studio.
3] Ra.One
Movie Budget- 135 crore
VFX Shots- 3000
VFX Company- Red Chillies VFX
Ra.One, released in 2011, is considered one of the best VFX movies in Indian cinema. Directed by Anubhav Sinha and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Arjun Rampal, the film is known for its exceptional visuals.
Even today, its visual quality remains unmatched by many current movies. The transformation scene featuring a cube was particularly impressive, showcasing a unique concept of gaming characters entering the real world with superpowers. This required extensive use of visual effects (VFX), which were executed remarkably well in Ra.One. Whether it’s the final fight, the train sequence, or any other scene, the VFX work in the movie was top-notch.
Red Chillies VFX, a division of Shah Rukh Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, was responsible for the impressive VFX in Ra.One. Behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube provide further insights into the making of the film and the intricate VFX work involved. Overall, Ra.One’s VFX work was a significant achievement for Indian cinema, setting the stage for more ambitious VFX-driven films in the future.
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2] Adipurush
Movie Budget- ₹500 crore
VFX Shots- 4000
VFX Company- NY VFXwaala
Adipurush is an upcoming Indian movie based on the Hindu epic Ramayana. It is directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. The film stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles.
It has been in the news for its visual effects (VFX), which received criticism in the teaser released in October 2022. However, the VFX team worked hard to address the feedback and released a new trailer that received a positive response. As a result, we have placed it at number 2. We will have to wait for the film’s release to fully assess the quality of its VFX. In the trailer, the VFX looks brilliant, showcasing the team’s efforts to improve the visual effects.
The VFX team, led by Prasad Sutar, has used various technologies like XSENS and Dynamixyz for motion capture, especially for capturing facial expressions. They have created everything from scratch, including characters, environments, and effects, without using any pre-made assets or stock footage.
1] Brahmastra
Movie Budget- 410 crore
VFX Shots- 4500
VFX Companies- DNEG and ReDefine
Brahmastra is a Hindi film that was released in 2022. In terms of visuals, Brahmastra is currently the best VFX film made in India. It took a long time to complete this film. The budget for Brahmastra is around 410 crores, and with this amount, they have created the best VFX in India. This means that the visual effects are of excellent quality, and every scene looks realistic. The film also uses a variety of colors, which I found to be amazing.
One thing I really liked was the unique aura created when a character used their special weapon. The fighting and fire scenes in the Climax were also indescribable. Personally, I loved it, and I believe that no other film in India has better VFX than Brahmastra.
The film features a lot of visual effects (VFX) that have been praised for their quality and innovation. The film’s director, Ayan Mukerji, has spoken about the role of VFX in Brahmastra and how they were used to create the film’s unique look and feel. The VFX team also celebrated the film’s success and the positive response to their work.
Brahmastra’s VFX have been described as a game-changer for the Hindi film industry, with many praising the film’s use of technology to create a unique and immersive world. The film’s VFX have been compared to those of Hollywood films, and some have even suggested that they surpass them. Brahmastra surely deserves the first place in the list of the best VFX movies in India
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What are VFX Shots?
VFX shots refer to specific scenes or sequences in a film that involve the use of visual effects. These shots are created or enhanced using computer-generated imagery (CGI) or other digital techniques to create stunning visual elements that are not possible or practical to capture in-camera. VFX shots can include anything from adding fantastical creatures, creating realistic environments, simulating natural phenomena, or enhancing action sequences with explosive effects. Each shot requiring visual effects is carefully crafted by VFX artists and technicians to seamlessly blend with the live-action footage and enhance the overall cinematic experience.
