Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Six Small-Budget Indian Films Become Major Box-Office Blockbusters
This article looks at Indian films that earned much more money than they reportedly cost to make.
Hanuman Ansh is about spiritual figure Neem Karoli Baba and earned over ₹377 crore worldwide.
It reportedly cost about ₹2 crore to produce.
Kantara used local beliefs and Karnataka’s culture to reach audiences widely.
Karthikeya 2 became popular through its mythology, mystery and adventure story.
Hanu-Man mixed Indian mythology with a superhero story.
Mahavatar Narsimha used animation to tell the story of Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar, while Maharaja also succeeded on a relatively modest budget.
The article says five films but actually discusses six, including Hanuman Ansh.
Hanuman Ansh, based on Neem Karoli Baba’s life, reportedly earned ₹377.05 crore worldwide on a ₹2 crore budget by Day 49/50.
Kantara grossed ₹407 crore worldwide against a reported ₹16 crore budget, drawing on Karnataka’s folk beliefs and culture.
Karthikeya 2 earned ₹117.87 crore worldwide from a reported ₹15 crore budget, helped by strong word-of-mouth.
Hanu-Man and Mahavatar Narsimha reportedly earned ₹295.29 crore and ₹326.82 crore worldwide, respectively, from budgets of about ₹40 crore each.
Maharaja reportedly grossed close to ₹199 crore on a ₹20–30 crore budget; although the headline says five films, the article lists six examples.
- Who
- The films’ creators and stars, including Rishab Shetty, Nikhil Siddhartha, Prashanth Varma and Vijay Sethupathi, along with Neem Karoli Baba as the subject of Hanuman Ansh.
- What
- Several Indian films reportedly became major box-office successes despite relatively modest production budgets.
- When
- Hanuman Ansh’s figures are reported through Day 49/50 in 2026; Hanu-Man was released in 2024.
- Where
- The films were released in India and recorded worldwide grosses.
- Why
- Their reported success was attributed to word-of-mouth, mythology, spirituality, folklore, cultural themes and genre appeal.
- Hanuman Ansh
- Reported ₹2 crore budget; ₹377.05 crore worldwide by Day 49/50.
- Kantara
- Reported ₹16 crore budget; ₹407 crore worldwide.
- Karthikeya 2
- Reported ₹15 crore budget; ₹117.87 crore worldwide.
- Hanu-Man
- Reported ₹40 crore budget; ₹295.29 crore worldwide.
- Mahavatar Narsimha
- Reported ₹40 crore budget; ₹326.82 crore worldwide.
- Maharaja
- Reported ₹20–30 crore budget; close to ₹199 crore worldwide.
- Reported figures
- Worldwide collections and budgets were attributed to reports and Sacnilk.