The phenomenal success of Obsession has stunned the world, and India is no exception. Its budget, especially, has become a talking point, as the film was made for just Rs. 7-10 crores. A recent article explained how its success is a wake-up call for Bollywood, which has neglected mid-sized and small-budget films, once a staple of the industry. There’s no doubt that the industry is to blame for increasingly relying on event films and visual spectacles to draw audiences to cinemas. However, the audience also deserves a share of the blame for this situation.
Pre-pandemic, the indie, small budget and mid-sized films were regularly churned out. They were often called ‘five-city’ films as they usually worked in ‘A’ centres. Yet, due to controlled costs and patronage from a set of audiences, such movies continued to be made and even became hits. Bheja Fry (2007), released with negligible promotion, was majorly shot in one house and reportedly was made under a crore. Yet, it collected close to Rs. 9 crores and, in terms of ROI, was a huge hit. The same gang of Rajat Kapoor-Vinay Pathak-Ranvir Shorey then made Mithya (2008) and it was also a decent success. A Wednesday (2008) was a sleeper hit and a rage in the same year and later, more unconventional movies like Peepli [LIVE] (2010), Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), Tere Bin Laden (2010), Ragini MMS (2011), Paan Singh Tomar (2011) also became hits despite being niche fares. Meanwhile, mid-sized films, starring popular names like Queen (2014), Tanu Weds Manu (2011), Kahaani (2012) etc. also got made and accepted.
Even then, a section of this target audience didn’t watch these films in cinemas and relied on DVDs, satellite television or piracy to consume them. Later, this audience shifted to OTT. Sadly, the number of people falling into this category increased post-pandemic. Their habit of watching films in theatres every week or two was broken. Meanwhile, smart TVs became bigger and better. Stores like IKEA began selling comfortable sofas with cup holders, much like the seating one finds in cinemas. Many began enjoying the experience of watching films in the comfort of their homes, especially smaller and mid-sized films.
When the release of Hindi films resumed in cinemas in a big way in 2022, it was this set of films that suffered the most. It was clear that it’s tough to make such films and yet, some producers took the risk. But the results were discouraging. 8 AM Metro (2023), Three Of Us (2023), Dhadak 2 (2025), Haq (2025), Gustaakh Ishq (2025), Vadh (2022), Vadh 2 (2026) etc. got royally ignored in cinemas despite a great word of mouth. On OTT, these same films got a whopping viewership.
It is safe to say that a film like Dhadak 2 would have been a decent theatrical success, on the lines of Article 15 (2019), had it been released pre-pandemic. And post-pandemic, Bheja Fry, A Wednesday, Tere Bin Laden etc. would have struggled to find an audience.
There’s also a misconception that Bollywood is not trying something new and fresh. A few months ago, Tu Yaa Main (2026), released with glowing reviews and a positive word of mouth. Just like Obsession, it was a film meant to be experienced in cinemas in a packed show. And yet, it folded under Rs. 10 crores. On the other hand, many are complaining of toxic masculinity on screen. They were presented with the highly acclaimed Do Deewane Seher Mein (2026) and even this film bombed.
The only two unconventional films that have worked big time in the post-pandemic era are 12th Fail (2023) and Kill (2024). Both these films didn’t boast of huge stars and pulled in an audience because of extremely positive word of mouth. The other film that enjoyed some degree of success is Laapataa Ladies (2024). Despite being probably a rare film with 0 bad reviews, it collected just Rs. 20.24 crores. It became a rage only when it dropped on Netflix. Before lockdown, this film would have been a sure shot Rs. 60-70 crore grosser.
This is also the reason why certain non-star cast high-concept films go directly on OTT. Had the audience behaviour not changed post-pandemic in such a drastic manner, a film like Mrs (2025) could have been released in cinemas. The film got polarized reactions, but there’s no denying that it was widely consumed. In cinemas, it had the potential of being the Queen of this decade, that is, collected Rs. 60 crore plus like the 2014 Kangana Ranaut starrer. OTT films like Dhoom Dhaam (2025) and Baramulla (2025) also had chances of being box office successes before in the pre-Covid era.
Hence, one can’t blame just the industry for favouring a certain kind of film. It’s high time that audiences take a genuine interest in what’s releasing every Friday and check whether any film is worth watching in cinemas. If a film looks like a worthy watch, they need to shed the “will watch later on OTT” mindset and take a trip to the nearest theatre.
The responsibility also lies with producers to ensure that their product stands out through effective marketing. The trailers and songs need to work. Lastly, multiplexes should give certain films a fair chance and not make it difficult for them while allocating shows. They also need to gauge the buzz around a film, understand what people are talking about and allot shows accordingly. Certain films may not get the desired audience on Friday, but viewers might turn up on Saturday and Sunday. Hence, doing away with their shows from Friday night itself is not always justified.
To conclude, Obsession’s sleeper blockbuster success is a reminder not just for Bollywood but to the Indian audience at large – you cannot demand such films from our industry and then ignore them when they release in cinemas despite glowing word of mouth. The need of the hour is for Bollywood to keep making such films, for multiplexes to support them with sensible showcasing and for audiences to give them a chance in cinemas. Otherwise, the industry will once again get the message that taking risks is simply not worth it.
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