Film.Jai Santoshi Maa earned more than Sholay

Film.Jai Santoshi Maa earned more than Sholay

In the existing era, films are not made with a small budget and there had been a times when some films are made on a huge budget and become expensive.

Such films create a huge buzz at the box office with extraordinary success. On the other hand, some films turn blockbuster regardless not having any big names from the industry. There is an Indian film which was produced for just a few lakh rupees and managed to earn crores in 1975?

Notwithstanding, the film collecting huge amount, the film’s creators were declared bankrupt. 

This 48-year-old movie was made on a small budget and it was
“Jai Santoshi Maa” released on May 30, 1975.The producer was running from pillar to post to sell his film to a distributor. Reportedly the film managed to earn just Rs 56 from its first show, Rs 64 from the second, and Rs 100 from the third. Trade analysts said that the film will be a huge flop. Within no time, a miraculous turn of events happened and the audiences began to flock to theaters. The film managed to grab everyone’s attention with its storyline and plot. The power of storytelling and devotion in cinema proved small budget film also worked. Also Read – From Gabbar in ‘Sholay’ to Hastar in ‘Tumbbad’: Best villains in Indian cinema history
Anita Guha portrayed Mata Santoshi in the film Jai Santoshi Maa and it was directed by Vijay Sharma. The film ran in theaters for 50 weeks. In an interview with a media portal, she said that there was little demand for mythological films in Bandra, Mumbai, where such movies typically struggled to succeed. She continued saying that the film defied expectations and enjoyed an incredible 50-week run in that very area and set a remarkable record for its time.

According to a report the film was made with a budget of Rs 30 lakhs. It collected around Rs 5 crore, but still the filmmakers did not see any profit initially as distributors were hesitant to take on the film. Kedarnath Agarwal and Sandeep Sethi stepped in to handle its distribution.

Producer Satram Rohra did not get a single rupee from its success and declared himself bankrupt. It is believed that Kedarnath’s brothers committed fraud and took all the money. This film gave tough fight to Amitabh Bachchan’s Sholay.
Jai Santoshi Maa went on to become the second highest-grossing film of that year.

News Edit KV Rama