In what industry observers are calling a landmark moment for Gujarati cinema, a small devotional drama with no major marketing push has stunned the nation by entering the coveted โน100-crore club. โLaalo โ Krishna Sada Sahaayateโ, better known simply as โLaaloโ, has rewritten every rule of the regional box office and emerged as a cultural phenomenon.
Released quietly on October 10 in just two to three theatres in Ahmedabad โ with no big stars, no high-budget promotions and no hype โ the film initially struggled to find its footing. But what followed is nothing short of extraordinary. Early viewers began recommending the film passionately, and the word-of-mouth wave soon turned into a movement. By the third week, audiences were flocking to cinemas, and the filmโs momentum became unstoppable.
Shot inDevbhoomi Dwarka, the ancient city believed to be the home of Lord Krishna, the film carries a deep devotional resonance for viewers. The title refers to โLaalo,โ an affectionate name used for the infant avatar of Krishna โ often given as a nickname to children in Gujarat and cherished throughout adulthood. That emotional connect has played a pivotal role in drawing audiences across age groups back to the theatres โ many repeatedly.
The trajectory of Laalo defies every box-office trend. The film collected just โน33 lakh in Week 1 and โน27 lakh in Week 2 โ numbers that would normally indicate an early exit from cinemas. But powered by exceptional public endorsement, Week 3 saw a surge to โน62 lakh. Then came an explosion.
Week 4: โน12.08 crore
Week 5: โน25.70 crore
Week 6: โน24.40 crore
Entering its seventh week, the devotional drama still showed little sign of slowing. The film collected โน9.95 crore over the seventh weekend alone, continuing a rare upwards trajectory more than 50 days into release. On Day 51, Laalo posted India earnings of โน1.65 crore โ an 83% jump from the previous day.
ย
As of now, the film has earned โน81.65 crore net in India (โน96.34 crore gross) and โน5.9 crore overseas, taking its worldwide total to a staggering โน102.24 crore gross. Trade analysts predict the film may comfortably surpass โน125 crore in the coming weeks.
With its unprecedented earnings, Laalo has officially become the highest-grossing Gujarati film of all time. Not only that, it has currently become the 36th biggest Indian box-office hit of 2025 across all languages.
It has also surpassed the lifetime collections of mainstream national releases such as Bhool Chuk Maaf (โน72.73 crore) and Dude (โน73.13 crore), forcing film observers to take serious note of Gujaratโs cinematic potential.
The filmโs sole song โ dedicated to Lord Krishna โ has become a viral devotional anthem. It has sparked massive engagement on YouTube and social media, extending far beyond Gujarati-speaking audiences and finding a place in playlists across India and among the diaspora.
Remarkably, Laalo was made on a shoestring budget of โน50 lakh. Its cast – Karan Joshi, Reeva Rachh, Shruhad Goswami, Anshu Joshi, and Kinnal Nayak – were largely unfamiliar faces prior to release. Director Ankit Sakhiyaโs dream project has now turned into one of the biggest underdog victories in Indian cinema.
For years, the regional space has been dominated by Telugu, Tamil and Kannada cinema. Laalo has broken that hierarchy and placed Gujarati cinema firmly on the national map – not with scale or spectacle, but with storytelling, emotion and faith.
Industry experts believe this moment may mark the beginning of a new chapter for Gujarati films, potentially unlocking investment, nationwide releases and global collaborations.
As multiplexes continue to report house-full shows, one thing is clear: Laalo is no longer just a movie – it is a cultural wave. And the wave is still rising.