India's most profitable film ever was made in just Rs 4 crore but became the highest grossing film of the industry.
Smaller films, i.e. films made on a limited budget, usually do not feature big stars, or have massive publicity campaigns. As a result, their buzz and subsequent box office returns are also limited. But every once in a while, one small film does the unthinkable and breaks box office records. It has happened in the past, both distant and recent, with one recent film, actually earning 26 times as much as its budget, an Indian record
India’s most profitable film is...
The Marathi all-time blockbuster Sairat is India’s most profitable film ever. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, this 2016 release was an Indian version of the star-crossed lovers template popularised by stories such as Romeo and Juliet and Laila-Majnu. The film starred newcomers Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru in the leads. Made on a budget of just Rs 4 crore, Sairat went on to gross Rs 110 crore worldwide, a 2650% return on investments. It remains the highest grossing film in Marathi film industry history.
How Sairat beat big films and other small achievers
Just how big Sairat’s achievement is can be gauged by the fact that in India, it outdid the earnings of blockbusters. Sairat’s domestic net collection of Rs 81 crore was higher than Gadar (Rs 77 crore) and Dhoom 2 (Rs 80 crore), and even industry hits like Om Shanti Om (Rs 78 crore). On top of that, its 2650% profit rate is also the highest in recent times, with even the likes of Kantara (2400%), The Kashmir Files (2170%), and The Kerala Story (1420%) lagging behind.
Sairat’s legacy
Sairat was a sleeper hit and it broke through to be a visible film in the non-Marathi populace as well, with subtitled versions being watched by non-Marathi speakers too. This led to producer Karan Johar buying its rights and remaking the film in Hindi. The remake, titled Dhadak, launched Janhvi Kapoor in Bollywood, and also starred Ishaan Khatter. Interestingly, Dhadak was made on a Rs 30-crore budget but failed to surpass Sairat’s collections in India, netting Rs 74 crore in India, and Rs 113 crore worldwide.
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 "Rinku Rajguru in Sairat")
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