Made on a tiny budget with just one camera, Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate smashed expectations, becoming the first Gujarati film to cross Rs 100 crore worldwide.
Directed by Ankit Sakhiya, the film, released in Gujarati in October 2025, follows a rickshaw driver trapped in a farmhouse, whose visions of Lord Krishna guide him on a journey of self-discovery.
Shot using just one borrowed camera and made on a budget under Rs 50 lakh, the team relied on improvisation, creativity, and conviction.
Director Ankit Sakhiya, 29, said he never believed big budgets or advanced technology were necessary to tell a powerful story.
“I could shoot on the street, place my actor on a chair, put that chair in front of a mountain — the mountain is going to be there. I finished this film through pure jugaad. The only thing we didn’t compromise on was the creative truth,” he said.
When the film initially struggled in theatres after its release in October 2025, the team took it to Ankit Sakhiya’s village during Diwali.
With a simple screen set-up, the community sat on the ground and watched all two hours and 15 minutes in rapt silence, their emotional response giving the team renewed belief in the project.
Gradually, strong word-of-mouth turned the film into a sleeper hit. The turning point came on its fourth Saturday, when it earned Rs 1.8 crore in a single day. By January 2026, the film earned over Rs 120 crore worldwide.
With a Hindi-dubbed release on 9 January 2026, Vidhu Vinod Chopra recommended the film, saying:
“Leave whatever you’re doing and watch this film. Because there is one thing in this film that is not there in today’s time, and that is hope.”
Featuring Reeva Rachh, Shruhad Goswami, Karan Joshi, and Mishty Kadecha — actors with theatre roots — alongside cinematographer Shubham Gajjar and composer Smmit Jay.
Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate proves that heartfelt storytelling and audience connection can make history. With its Hindi release underway, the team plans to release the film in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.