REPORT
Small is the new BIG!
The year 2015 has been phenomenal for low-budget films so far with most of
them raking in the moolah and critical acclaim. We profile the sleeper hits…
B
e it Piku or Dum Laga Ke Haisha, audience sensibilities seem to have matured. Grandeur and
mega stars aren’t the only parameters any more.
The story is. In any case, a huge budget with a glittering
star cast doesn’t necessarily guarantee a hit – Bombay
Velvet and Katti Batti being recent examples. Filmmakers too have started believing in stories more than top
names, expensive filmmaking or international locations
and that’s the way forward alright. Here’s taking a look
at some such brilliant, low on budget but high on quality
films, which have gladdened the marquee so far...
Badlapur
Release date: February 20, 2015
Budget: Rs 25 crore
Box-office collection: Rs 51.40cr
Sriram Raghavan’s murky crime drama Badlapur had
all the ingredients of a gripping thriller. Varun Dhawan
took a leap of faith and did a role, which required him to
draw on his dark side. Luckily for him, the move clicked
big time. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s knockout performance
too helped bring in critical acclaim. Its taut screenplay
made sure that the film earned a profit almost double
the budget.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Release date: February 27, 2015
Budget: Rs 11 crore
Box-office collection: Rs 29.20cr
Set in 1995, Dum Laga Ke Haisha makes you fall in love
with the leads – slacker Ayushmann Khurrana and chubby debutante Bhumi Pednekar. Prem Prakash Tiwari
(Ayushmann) of Haridwar, who runs a cassette shop is
forced to marry an educated but overweight Sandhya
(Bhumi). The film was made on a shoe-string budget of
11 crores. Its success proves that a banner like Yash Raj
Films, known for its lavish production values; has wisely
gauged how the wind is blowing.
NH 10
Release date: March 13, 2015
19 | BOOM