Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate, a Gujarat film made on a budget of Rupees 50 lakhs raking in Rs 100 crores in just 8 weeks. This regional film has become a hot topic of discussion among all the film industry giants who are surprised with the overwhelming response drawn by this small budget film, reports P C Kapadia.
A mind-boggling 20,000 % ROI (Return on Investment)
Despite a weak start on it’s release, the producers and directors of Lalo: Shri Krishna Sada Sahayate, including the actors, continued their relentless efforts to bring the audience to cinema halls and the results are being seen today. In the two months since the film was released, it has become the highest-grossing Gujarati film. However, its box office graph is still going up continuously. And if the audience continues to shower Lala with grace, it can become the first Gujarati film to cross Rs 125 crore mark.
What is bizarre is that the film avoids talk of miracles or superstition, yet Dwarika’s unwavering faith in Nath has wrought a miracle, and the box office is overflowing.
The film is about a rickshaw driver named Laalo who gets trapped in a farmhouse and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and healing with guidance from visions of Lord Krishna. The title translates to “Krishna is Always Helpful”. The film is directed by Ankit Sakhiya and has received significant commercial success and positive reviews for its story, acting and music. Produced by Manasi Parekh and Parthiv Gohil, the film features Reeva Rachh. Shruhad Goswami, Karan Joshi and Mishty Kadecha.
When a Gujarati film breaks all records and sets a new milestone of success, it is a great occasion for Dhollywood (a moniker for the Gujarati film industry derived from ‘Bollywood’). There are expectations within industry circles that the film will cross the 150 crore mark in the coming weeks. Definitely, this achievement of Gujarati film should be celebrated in a grand manner by all the industry giants.
“When the Gujarati film industry is now progressing at the speed of a bullet train, not at a snail’s pace, it is not unreasonable to expect the audience to see films of international level, not only national,” commented a well known film producer.
Hollywood’s low-budget superhits:
- The Blair Witch Project (1999) – Made on a budget of around $600,000, this horror film earned more than $248 million worldwide and became a cult classic.
- Paranormal Activity (2007) – Made on a budget of just $450,000, this film grossed over $194 million. The hand-held camera style set a new trend.
- El Mariachi (1992) – Made on a budget of just $7,000, this indie film surprisingly grossed over $2 million. A turning point in Robert Rodriguez’s career.
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) – Made on a budget of $5 million, this romantic comedy shocked the world by grossing a whopping $374 million worldwide.
- Rocky (1976) – Made on a budget of $1 million, this iconic film starring Sylvester Stallone grossed over $225 million and won three Oscars.
And the list of some ‘miraculous super-hit’ films in the Bollywood film industry –
Raazi
Made on a budget of just ₹38 crore, Alia Bhatt’s ‘Raazi’ proved to be a superhit, earning ₹158 crore.
Hindi Medium
This heart-touching film of Irrfan Khan was made for ₹23 crore and crossed ₹100 crore in India alone.
Andhadhun
Ayushmann Khurrana’s thriller was made for ₹30 crore and earned ₹344.5 crore worldwide, earning a mint.
Pink
Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Pink’ was made for just ₹23 crore and earned ₹88.31 crore.
Secret Superstar
This film, produced by Aamir Khan, turned out to be a miracle! It earned ₹812+ crore (overseas + India) against a budget of ₹15 crore.
12th Fail
This inspiring film by Vikrant Massey was made on a budget of ₹20 crore and managed to earn ₹66.55 crore.
Vicky Donor
Ayushmann Khurrana’s debut hit was made on a budget of ₹10 crore and earned around ₹50 crore, winning a National Award.
(Figures may vary as they are collected on rough estimates and industry circles – Inputs by P C Kapadia )
