Here's how Gujarati cinema had its decade high box office run in 2025

• Gujarati films crossed Rs 100 crore box office in 2025, a ten-year high
• Laalo's Rs 114 crore surge in India boosts investor interest.
• Gujarati cinema surpasses Punjabi and Marathi films in box office and attendance.

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For Gujarati movies, 2025 was a year of cheers, repeat shows and a paisa vasool run that pushed box-office numbers past Rs 100 crore, marking the industry's biggest theatrical moment in ten years.

The biggest contributor is the devotional drama Laalo that alone has pocketed around Rs 114 crore in India with a worldwide total of around Rs 120 crore.

This record business does great service to the industry, National Award winner Manasi Parekh told Moneycontrol. "The Rs 100 crore number does great service to the industry because investors see the potential in Gujarati cinema," she said.

Record run

She recalled how 'Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate', the film backed by her, had a breakout moment for the Gujarati film industry this year.

"In the first two weeks, the film performed badly. The film released on October 10 and was competing with Hindi releases. By Diwali, only three shows of Laalo were running across Mumbai and Gujarat. After Diwali, fueled by word of mouth and audience demand, the number of shows for the film increased. By the fourth week, we had 2,000 shows. Many theatre owners have said they will play Laalo for a year," Parekh said.

While Parekh and her husband Parthiv Gohil, business head of production house Soul Sutra and one of the investors in Laalo, knew that the content was good, little did they know it would turn out to be an all-time blockbuster. "Director of Laalo, Ankit Sakhiya, had made the film in a limited budget after which they approached Parthiv who asked me to watch the film. We then got investors including Manifest films, Neem Tree and RD brothers to support the film."

It is estimated that films like Laalo and Chaniya Toli have triggered a Rs 200 crore box office run for Gujarati films this year.

Producer of Chaniya Toli, Anand Pandit of Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, who has also backed many Hindi films like Total Dhamaal, Sarkar 3 and more, said that the growth story is not limited to blockbuster films alone, but spans a wide range of titles across diverse genres in Gujarati cinema.

Small and medium films earning in the range of Rs 3-5 crore and Rs 5-10 crore respectively have led to a more balanced box office business for the Gujarati film industry.

For example movies like the romantic dramedy Trisha on the Rocks released last year had earned Rs 4.8 crore, Mom Tane Nai Samjay, an emotional drama about generation gap which released in January this year had earned Rs 4.6 crore. Another venture this year, Jalebi Rocks, which tells the tale of a 48-year-old homemaker rediscovering purpose, earned Rs 3.3 crore.

"Gujarati cinema earlier was seen by many as small, struggling and hyperlocal segment. But that is not the case now. It is now one of the fastest-growing film industries in India. This shift did not happen overnight. It took years of trying new ideas, staying consistent and building pace, and the real impact started showing from 2024 onwards," he said.

New highs

Pandit added that Gujarati cinema has reached new highs in 2025 by not only crossing the Rs 100 crore mark, but it has also achieved the milestone of 10 million footfalls in the ten months of this year.

Sharad Patel, a Film Producer and Founder of SP Cinecorp Cinematic Venture, who has also produced Hindi films like The Tashkent Files, pointed to the higher success rate seen in Gujarati cinema. He said that out of the 20 good films that saw the light of day in theatres and which were well-marketed, 15 films not only broke even but also got as much as 3 times returns with Rs 10-20 crore box office business with a budget of Rs 4-5 crore.

"It is a good moment for Gujarati cinema. Since the last two years, we are seeing consistent successes. Mumbai is emerging as a big market for Gujarati films. I have seen higher openings for Gujarati films in Mumbai than Gujarat. Audiences are preferring Gujarati films over South, Hindi and Hollywood.

Rooted and culturally rich narratives are driving this success, said Pandit.

"Films like Chhello Show, which became India’s Oscar entry, are a strong reminder of the creative potential within the industry. Also, movies like ‘Laalo’, ‘Chaniya Toli’, ‘Vash Level 2’ and ‘Bachu Ne Benpani’ have proved that audiences are seeking good content," he added.

Parekh said that there are 6-crore Gujarati speaking audience and there is a lot more that can be done. "Even the Hindi film industry people have woken up to the fact that this is a market that they never thought would expand so fast, they are eying Gujarati film industry."

As producers, Parthiv and Parekh are looking to support new makers, local stories. "There is so much content waiting to be seen by not just Gujarati audiences but everyone," she said.

Blockbuster road ahead

Patel expects the box office business to increase for Gujarati films in the coming years especially due to a growing dubbed market of Gujarati movies. He gave the example of the second installment of Vash. The Hindi version of the film earned Rs 8 crore out of the total Rs 9 crore in India. The first movie in the franchise was remade in Hindi called Shaitaan which became one of the top performing films of 2024.

What could also fuel the strong momentum Gujarati films is the better returns.

Pandit said that some Gujarati films have demonstrated a significantly better potential than Hindi films due to their low production costs relative to their box office performance.

"Controlled budgets and loyal audiences can ensure consistency and create a sense of financial security for producers. The prospects for Gujarati cinema in the coming year look bright," he added.

Additionally, Patel thinks the overseas market can also grow for Gujarati films.

For his upcoming ventures, he is eying the overseas markets.

"Currently, there isn't a channelised release for Gujarati films. We do territorial sales in Africa, Canada, the US, UK and of fewer films with small traction. But with a regular release cycle, the overseas market will pick up."

Turning the corner

There is further room for improvement especially when it comes to film distribution.

"Regional films unlike Hindi movies normally warm up after 2-3 weeks and not on the opening weekend. But this also shows how the current distribution model supports the opening weekend business. After the opening weekend, if the film hasn't performed, it is out of theatres even if it is good content. A film like Laalo would not have sustained. It is a miracle what we saw with Laalo. It also signals the need for more shows for regional films," Parekh said.

Patel concurs. For Chhelo Divas, produced by Patel and released in 2015, a cult Gujarati film and a big commercial success back then, getting screen count and shows was a challenge.

"The film had picked up on day one but for the longest time Gujarati cinema struggled with opening. Friday, we would not see the audience and by Monday we would not have enough shows. This has changed in the last 7-8 years."

Pandit also said that earlier, even for a single slot in a cinema hall, it needed a lot of convincing. "But now, exhibitors are giving fair and decent show timings as well as a respectable number of screens."

This year, Gujarati film industry overtook both Punjabi and Marathi cinema in total box office and footfalls in 2025, according to media consulting firm Ormax.

"Gujarati cinema now enjoys a consistent and increasing screen count because exhibitors see clear demand and have confidence in the audience response," Pandit said.