If a film starring a major Bollywood celebrity such as one of the three Khan brothers, Akshay Kumar, or Hrithik Roshan is released, it is a given that the movie will earn well at the box office. This is a well-known and accepted truth in Bollywood. People will watch their films even if the film is not up to the standard since the star power of these actors is so great, and their fan following is so extensive. This will ultimately result in the film grossing more than crores of money.
The public flock to the multiplexes to see their favorite Bollywood actors performing the same thing over and over again, the same old clichés, an unnecessary item song, and a rehash of a classic, and then BANG the movie enters the crore club. The reason for this is that the public does not search for logical explanations, but rather for entertainment, which is provided by the stars.
However, over the last few years, the industry has seen a surge in the number of low-budget films. These low-budget Bollywood movies are now making as much of an effect as the large star-studded flicks. Even at the box office, they are generating a respectable amount of income. Take the movie “Tanu Weds Manu,” for example; it didn’t have any well-known actors or actresses, but it was well received by critics and audiences alike, and it ended up making close to 150 crores in revenue at the box office.
This unequivocally demonstrates that the narrative is the component that carries the greatest weight. Spending a lot of money won’t guarantee that the movie will be successful.
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So let’s take a look at the Top 9 Most Successful Low-Budget Bollywood Movies!
1. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Budget – Rs. 8 Crore
Box Office – Rs. 38 crore
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s biography about the Indian soldier, athlete, and rebel Paan Singh Tomar was a huge critical success, and the film went on to win the National Award for Best Feature Film. After the critical and commercial success of their first film together, “Haasil,” actor Irrfan Khan and director Tigmanshu Dhulia worked together once again on this film. The movie had a total production budget of barely eight crores of rupees, yet it grossed more than thirty-eight crores of rupees at the box office.
2. Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010)
Budget – Rs. 6 crore
Box Office – Rs. 19 crore
This satirical comedy was directed by Subhash Kapoor, who is a winner of the National Award for Best Director. The film had a modest budget of Rs. 6 crore, but it generated an enormous collection of more than Rs. 19 crores. The movie, which stars Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Sanjay Mishra, Amol Gupte, and Manu Rishi Chadha, was a huge financial success when it was released in theatres. The popularity of this movie may be attributed to the actions of the cast members, the skillful telling of the plot, and the clever use of contemporary comedy. The movie is an all-around entertaining experience; in addition to making you laugh, it will also reveal some serious yet humorous realities about our culture and society.
3. Kahaani (2012)
Budget – Rs. 8 crore
Box Office – Rs. 78 crore
Vidya Balan, despite the absence of a major celebrity in the cast of Kahaani, was able to single-handedly steer the ship that was the movie. The film is a suspenseful tale of a pregnant lady (Vidya Balan) who travels to Kolkata in search of her husband, who has gone missing. The movie, which was directed by Sujoy Ghosh and had a small budget of Rs. 8 crores to work with, managed to reach Rs. 78 crores at the Box Office despite its competition. The supporting cast of the movie included actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Parambrata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta, and Saswata Chatterjee, as well as Darshan Zariwala.
4. Vicky Donor (2012)
Budget – Rs. 5 crore
Box Office – Rs. 65 crore
It was created on a budget of Rs. 5 crores, but the film was a great critical and financial success, and it garnered more than Rs. 65 at the box office. Vicky Donor is one of the most successful low-budget Bollywood movies ever made. The topics of infertility and sperm donation are discussed over the course of the movie. Because there is no foul language or other inappropriate content in the movie, it is appropriate for families to see even though it touches on the touchy subject of sperm donation. Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor, and Dolly Ahluwalia are the actors who appear in this film, which was directed by Shoojit Sircar.
5. Tere Bin Laden (2010)
Budget – Rs. 6 crore
Box Office – Rs. 15 crore
Ali Zafar, a Pakistani pop artist, makes his acting debut in Tere Bin Laden, which also marks his first film in the Bollywood industry. The narrative of the movie follows the life of an aspirational young reporter who has a strong desire to settle down in the United States. And in order to do this, he creates a phony film of Osama bin Laden and then sells it. Abhishek Sharma is the film’s director, while Pradhuman Singh and Piyush Mishra play supporting parts in it. Tere Bin Laden was released in 2017. The movie had a budget of six cores to make, and it grossed more than fifteen cores at the box office.
6. Peepli Live (2010)
Budget – Rs. 10 crore
Box Office – Rs. 35 crore
Peepli Live is a satirical comedy that investigates the terrible topic of “farmer suicides” and the ensuing reaction of the media outlets and political leaders to the issue. Peepli Live also pokes fun at the situation. This movie was India’s official submission for consideration in the Best Foreign Film category at the 83rd Academy Awards. Peepli Live was produced on a budget of Rs. 10 crores, and since it grossed Rs. 35 crores at the box office, it was hailed as a smashing success.
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7. No One Killed Jessica
Budget – Rs. 9 crore
Box Office – Rs. 58 crore
This movie is based on the notorious murder case of Jessica Lal and the subsequent trial that occurred after it. The alleged murderer was ultimately cleared of all charges by the court. The subsequent publicity in the media, which generated demonstrations all around the country, led to the reopening of the murder case, which ultimately resulted in the murderer being sentenced to life in prison. Rani Mukherjee, Vidya Balan, and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub are the three actors that appear in this movie, which was directed by Rajkumar Gupta. The movie had a budget of 9 crore rupees, but it ended up grossing more than 58 crore rupees worldwide.
8. Pyaar Ka Panchnama (2011)
Budget – Rs. 7 crore
Box Office – Rs. 17 crore
Luv Ranjan is the director of this movie, which follows the narrative of three bachelors who each fall in love with one of three different women. And the way in which they’re recently created love tales is filled with a variety of intriguing turns and twists. The film depicts real-life scenarios, including how girlfriends may at times be so irritating to their boyfriends. The production of the movie cost seven crores of rupees, but it ended up earning more than seventeen and a half crores of rupees between box office receipts and satellite rights.
9. Bheja Fry (2012)
Budget – Rs. 60 Lakhs
Box Office – Rs. 18 crore
The film that featured Rajat Kapoor and Vinay Pathak was produced with a little budget of Rs 60 lakhs, but it ended up grossing more than Rs 18 crores at the box office.
