In a landmark moment for Indian cinema, Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate recently became the first Gujarati film to cross ₹100 crore. The movie is about a rickshaw driver trapped in a farmhouse who confronts his past demons while experiencing visions of Lord Krishna, who guides him through a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.
From near closure to a record-breaking phenomenon, its journey has been powered entirely by belief, word-of-mouth, and an extraordinary emotional connect. After its success, the filmmakers then decided to release the movie in theatres in Hindi on January 9.
Presented by Manifest Films and produced by Ajay Padariya and Jay Vyas, the film stars Reeva Rachh, Shruhad Goswami, and Karan Joshi, and is written and directed by Ankit Sakhiya.
In an interaction with The Free Press Journal, film director Ankit Sakhiya tells us about the journey of the film and how, for some people, watching the film prevented them from committing suicide. Excerpts:
How did the idea for the film come about?
This project started with the thought of making a film and how we could do so on a low budget. So, what do we need? One location, one actor, and whatever else we could find around us—things that wouldn’t cost me any money. So, I started with this thought and began writing the script.
Director Ankit Sakhiya | Instagram
Was the film a hit right from the start in theatres?
The film wasn’t a hit from the start. Initially, no one was watching it, but as word of mouth spread, people watched it, and they told other people, and that’s how it started and became a blockbuster.
According to you, why has the film done so well?
I think it connected with everyone. The other main factor is the divine energy, which perhaps connected with people, and that’s why the film took off.
Why did you decide to release a Hindi theatrical version?
Watching the film was healing people. People watching the film were crying and sharing their sorrows. Some people said that they were going to commit suicide, but they watched the film and were saved. So, we felt that we shouldn’t limit it to Gujarat; let’s show it to all of India. That’s why we decided to bring it out in Hindi.
And the best fan reaction?
I still remember when I went on a theatre visit in the initial days and a man came up to me. He said, “Keep these 5,000 rupees, I like you so much.” He took out 5,000 rupees and gave them to me, saying, “My name is Vishnu.” That’s something I can never forget. That’s a very big thing for me.
