Made in Rs 10 crore with debutants, this film set box office records that Kalki 2898 AD, Jawan, Pathaan, RRR can't break
This 2012 film with no stars and only debutants in lead set many box office records, one that even big shots like RRR, Jawan, and Pathaan can't break
One of the notions that prevailed in the film industry post-pandemic was that only big films with big stars could work at the box office. The success of Brahmastra, RRR, Sooryavanshi, and KGF 2 solidified this and the failure of many slice-of-life films further emboldened these claims. Many pointed out that there was a time when small films with no stars could rule the roost at the box office, something that wasn’t happening after Covid-19 with that same regularity. A case study would always be this one 2012 film with debutants in lead, and one that set box office records that many big films have not broken till date.
The tiny film with box office records that Kalki 2898 AD, Jawan can’t break
In 2012, John Abraham turned producer with a dramedy titled Vicky Donor. The film, directed by Shoojit Sircar, starred VJ-turned-actor Ayushmann Khurrana in his first lead role alongside Yami Gautam, who was also in her first lead role. They were supported by Annu Kapoor and Dolly Ahluwalia in pivotal roles. The film was made on a budget of Rs 10 crore and was on a taboo subject of sperm donation and infertility. So not many expected it to work but the film was a runaway hit, earning Rs 68 crore worldwide. This was a 580% profit, one of the highest in Hindi cinema history. In comparison, some of the biggest hits in Indian films in the recent times don’t come anywhere near. Pathaan had a profit of just around 320%, Jawan scored lower with 250%, and RRR fared around 120%. Kalki 2898 AD, which is setting the box office ablaze, would need to earn Rs 3500 crore to beat Vicky Donor’s profit. Only one film has even earned half as much.
Vicky Donor’s legacy
Vicky Donor helped establish both Ayushmann and Yami in the film industry. The former even developed a niche for himself doing films with off-beat subjects such as erectile dysfunction (Shubh Mangal Savdhaan), premature baldness (Bala), homosexuality (Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan), etc. The film’s success also marked a resurgence for veteran actor Annu Kapoor’s career. The film was remade in Tamil as Dharala Prabhu and in Telugu as Naruda Donoruda.
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