On Saturday, November 8, Bollywood Hungama reported how the Gujarati movie Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate is on a blockbuster spree. While it earned just around Rs. 1.34 crores in the first three weeks, it managed to collect a whopping Rs. 14 crores approx. in Week 4. In week 5, it has the highest screen count, with shows increasing even more on Saturday and Sunday. It collected Rs. 2.50 crores approx. on its fifth Friday and then it earned Rs. 5 crores approximately and a huge Rs. 7.50 crores approximately on its fifth Saturday and Sunday, respectively. In short, Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate is the best-performing film in the country. No other film collected as much in the previous weekend as this divine flick.
Realizing that the demand remains, distributors have asked cinemas to make a slight adjustment to the Tuesday offer. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “The distributors sent an e-mail to all the cinemas on Saturday itself when they knew that the film would put up a huge number in Week 5. On Tuesdays, the tickets are usually sold for Rs. 99 by many halls. But the distributors asked all the cinemas not to do so. They have been specifically instructed that the price of the regular seats should be Rs. 149 and that of the premium class be Rs. 199 or Rs. 299 or Rs. 399, depending on how elite the cinema hall is. The mail also reiterates that no ticket of Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate should be sold for less than Rs. 149.”
Amusingly, despite this instruction, a few cinemas are selling tickets for Rs. 99 or Rs. 92 (the new price point for many theatres after GST cut). But most of the theatres have adhered to the price strategy and as expected, several shows are getting sold out.
Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate crossed the Rs. 30 crores mark on Sunday and now, it remains to be seen how soon it’ll enter the Rs. 40 crores club. The next aim will be to go past the Rs. 50 crores mark. It now also aims to break the long-standing record of Chaal Jeevi Laiye, the 2019 feel good film which, believe it or not, is still running in cinemas. That film collected around Rs. 52 crores and the way Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate is performing, it has a possibility of being the highest Gujarati grosser ever.
Shockingly, a month ago, no one imagined in their wildest dreams that Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate, made at Rs. 50 lakhs, and which had no star cast, would manage to do such historic business. Its collections in the first 3 weeks were paltry, but soon, the word of mouth took over and the rest is history.
