For the longest time, it was only the big budget movies that made it to Bollywood’s 100 crores club irrespective of the storyline. But finally, in recent years, small budget movies with well written, unique and interesting stories, have also managed to capture the interest of the audience.
Here are some small budget movies that won big at the Box Office in recent times:
1. Stree
The first movie in the category of horror comedy, Stree entered the ₹100 crore club just 18 days after its release. The movie, that was made on a budget of only ₹20 crores, impressed the audience with its unique storyline (inspired by a real-life incident), fine performances by all the cast, and intelligent -almost introspective – humor.
2. Badhaai Ho
Another unexpected surprise on the Box Office was the comedy-drama Badhaai Ho that had a collection of ₹132.65 crores against a budget of ₹30 crores. The unique story was further elevated by intelligent dialogues and exceptional performance by the stellar starcast, especially Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri, and Neena Gupta.
3. Raazi
Made on a budget of ₹40 crores, the gripping tale of Raazi had garnered interest right from the start. But it was the hard-hitting performances that helped the movie earn a final collection of ₹158.77 crores. It is also one of the few movies with a female lead to have become a part of the ₹100 crore club.
4. Andhadhun
This black comedy thriller had people on the edge of their seats throughout the movie. Made on a budget of only ₹25 crores, the thriller saw Tabu and Ayushmann in completely different roles. It has already earned a collection of ₹72.37 crores and is currently still running at the movie screens.
5. Tumhari Sulu
This sweet slice of life movie brought to the forefront a section of the society that never gets due attention – the Indian housewife. Starring Vidya Balan in the lead role, the movie made a collection of ₹30 crores, against a budget of ₹20 crores.
6. Secret Superstar
Despite starring actors who were not commercial stars and having a modest budget of ₹15 crores, Secret Superstar managed to garner a collection of ₹81.28 crores. In fact, the emotionally powerful story resonated with the audience from across the globe and the movie managed a worldwide collection of ₹121.59 crores.
7. Mulk
When the movie first released, it faced tough competition at the Box Office from Fanney Khan and Karwaan. But slowly, this legal drama – set against the backdrop of religious discord – received word-of-mouth publicity and managed to recover its earnings with an overall collection of ₹27.05 crores (gross). Considering the movie had minimal promotion and faced tough competition on the Box Office, the final collection again its budget of ₹18 crores definitely counts as a win.
8. Hindi Medium
The story of this Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar starrer comedy-drama was like a breath of fresh air in the midst of commercial potboilers with the same old plot. Made on a budget of ₹23 crores, the movie – that people found hilariously relatable – managed to earn a collection of almost ₹70 crores at the Box Office.
9. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Ever since the two first came together for Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Ayushmann and Bhumi’s chemistry left the audience impressed. And the two recreated the same magic on screen with a unique story in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. Made on a budget of ₹25 crores, the movie had a final collection of almost ₹60 crores.
10. Newton
Despite being made on a small budget of ₹15 crores, Newton was the unexpected hit of the 2017 and rightfully so. India’s official entry into the Oscars, the movie did not just have a great storyline but also showcased exceptionally brilliant performances by both Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi. No wonder the movie made a lifetime collection of ₹22.80 crores.
11. Lipstick Under My Burkha
It was after its fair share of struggle with the censor board that the movie finally released on the silver screen. The movie brought up the subject of female sexuality and society’s skewed view of it. The intelligently made movie soon became a crowd favorite, garnering a collection of ₹19 crores against a budget of ₹6 crores.
12. Bareily Ki Barfi
Bareilly Ki Barfi was a definite surprise when it released. It fit perfectly into the genre of a romantic comedy, and yet managed to give us a refreshing, relatable and hilarious love story. Made on a budget of ₹20 crores, the movie went on to have a final collection of ₹50 crores.
These numbers indicate the right kind of change in audience’s preferences, and hopefully, we will have more such relatable and refreshing stories to look forward to now.
All collection figures specified are the net collection in India, unless specified otherwise.
