A modest Gujarati film titled Lalo turned out to be one of last year’s biggest surprises. Made on a total budget of just Rs 12 million—including promotion costs—the film went on to earn an astonishing Rs 1.2 billion at the box office. In terms of profit, it outperformed even major hits like Dhurandhar and Kantara. But what exactly drove this unexpected success?

No luxury vans, no excess

In a recent interview with The Indian Express, director Ankit Sakhia and members of the cast spoke candidly about how they kept costs under control. One major decision was avoiding luxury vanity vans during filming, which significantly reduced expenses.

Lead actor Karan Joshi explained that comfort was never a priority for him. “I don’t need those things. My focus is acting. The moment vanity becomes more important than performance, everything falls apart,” he said.

Another actor, Shruhad Goswami, shared that the team lived together during the shoot. “We all stayed in a dharamshala. Eight of us shared a small room with only two beds. The rest slept on the floor,” he recalled.

A milestone for Gujarati cinema

According to Ormax’s box office report, Lalo is now the highest-grossing Gujarati film of all time. The total box office earnings of Gujarati films stood at Rs 840 million in 2024, which jumped to Rs 2.42 billion in 2025. Lalo also became the first Gujarati film to cross the Rs 1 billion mark.

Director Ankit Sakhia admitted that budgeting was not part of the initial plan. “When we started, we weren’t thinking in terms of money. We just wanted to make something meaningful,” he said. “Luckily, I had close friends who believed in the project and supported it financially.”

After filming wrapped, the team realized they needed professional backing to release the film properly. As a result, the final budget settled at Rs 12 million, raised entirely through crowdfunding.

Reflecting on the journey, Ankit said, “Everyone else was confident, but I was scared. There was a time when I didn’t even have ten rupees in my pocket. Still, the film got made. I believe it was all by God’s will.”