Finances related to filmmaking are more inspiring today than ever before. Though net worth in filmmaking is always unpredictable. There is no guaranteed mechanism for lucrative funding. Today’s trend is making small and micro-budget films that bring high returns.
Over the last decade or more it has been proved again and again that hit films do not mean big-budget films always. The trend of a typical big-budget film, big stars, foreign or fancy locations, started with a big Friday, all led to big budgets has become an old tradition now. The prime issue of once the crowd puller films failed to make enough returns to justify their expenses. Film making is associated with script development, licensing, salaries of different people related to the film, and production costs eat up a huge chunk of the budget.
On the other hand, many low-cost films, average budget between Rs. 5 crores to Rs. 40 crores deliver high profits on investments in comparison with big-budget productions. Minimum and Micro-budget filmmaking defines a motion picture shot with less funding or very little funding from a small or private investor. The amateur filmmakers passed out from film institutes try out their talent before executing large productions.
Not necessarily all low-cost films are eminent in quality, few of them do not qualify to release in theatres because of their lack of market value. Young and amateur filmmakers often depend on their film promotions in national or international film festivals. They use the platform to gain applause and recognition for their work and investors for their forthcoming projects.
The film industry is rediscovering a cliché that wonderful things come in compact packages since the over-hyped big production movies sink without proper indication. Minimum budget Indian film “Traffic Signal”,
“Bheja Fry”, “Life in a Metro” was filmed on a very less budget than the superstar charges as his remuneration. They didn’t have expensive sets, songs and extravagant dance numbers. Their success story inspired many upcoming films.
Undoubtedly, a real-life story plays the role of a protagonist, and performances of the actors next door create a soulful impact on audiences. The absence of big stars, foreign locations, and exemption of unnecessary songs makes the filmmakers master of low budget films.
The minimum budget concept is not new, renowned Oscar-winning Bengali film director Satyajit Roy was one of the critically praised for his famous “The Apu Trilogy” in 1955-1959.
These films were made on a very less budget and used amateur casts and crews, but these films are considered among the most significant films of all time. Most of his films belong to the low budget category.
Few hit, minimum cost Indian films that change the concept of filmy success over budget.
Kahaani – It is a mystery-thriller genre movie directed by Sujay Ghosh. The main protagonist of the film is Vidya Balan. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays another major role. The story evolves as a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband on Kolkata streets. The budget for the film was 8 crores.
The Lunch Box – A 2013 film directed by Ritesh Batra. Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui were in the lead roles. The film was acclaimed in International film festivals. It had a budget of only 9 crores but entered a 100 crores club with big commercial success.
Vicky Donor – This is the debutant film of Ayushman Khurana, directed by Shoojit Sarkar and the budget of the film was 5 crores. An offbeat but new aspect of the story was a hit among the youngsters.
Queen – It is a 2014 movie belonging to the comedy-drama genre, directed by Vikas Bahl. Kangana Ranaut is in the lead role, with Lisa Haydon and Raj Kumar Rao playing other characters. This film was made around a budget of 13 crores.
Hindi Medium – Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar starter comedy-drama movie belong to the low budget category, 23 crores. The film is directed by Saket Chaudhary and is able to create humour in the plot; it occurs on a parent’s struggle to get admission of their daughter to a prestigious school in Delhi.
Badhaai ho – This 2018 film was a huge commercial success with earnings of over 200 crores against a low cost of 29 crores. The distinctive story, brilliant dialogues, and superb acting of the star cast, Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri, Neena Gupta, and Ayushman Khurana made this film exceptionally bright. The youngsters prefer freshening and relatable narratives on the weekends in movie theatres while relaxing with a glass of cold drink and a popcorn bucket after hectic work pressure. During the pandemic, the reopening of the movie theatres is sceptical but small budget filmmakers have managed to cope with their budget by 20-30% with online streaming and viewership hiked remarkably over the last couple of months.
