Faith-based films emerge as a reliable theatrical footfall driver

Low-budget, culturally rooted Indian films including Laalo, Hanuman Ansh and Irumudi are drawing strong cinema audiences and generating ₹45 crore-₹140 crore in box-office collections, offering exhibitors such as Roopbani Cinema a community-led programming opportunity.

— Source publishedThu, 3 Sept, 2026, 00:40 IST·First seen Thu, 3 Sept, 2026, 00:46 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Roopbani Cinema · Low-budget Indian faith-based films such as Laalo, Hanuman Ansh and Irumudi are drawing strong theatrical audiences, earning ₹45-₹140 crore

Key facts

  • Faith-based films were made on budgets of ₹2 crore-₹35 crore
  • These films collected ₹45 crore-₹140 crore at the box office
  • Jai Santoshi Maa collected nearly ₹5 crore on a ₹30 lakh budget in 1975
  • 82% of Indian adults said religion is very important to them in a 2025 Pew study
  • A 2026 study covered 180 countries

Why this matters

Exhibitors and media platforms should explore distribution, marketing and regional-content partnerships with faith-film producers to secure differentiated access to an emerging audience segment.