It is not often that the two top movies in the world on a given weekend are low-budget independent horror films from first-time filmmakers. But Obsession and Backrooms have brought focus back to small-budget films with fresh takes and voices. And even as these two micro-budget films beat a Star Wars title at the box office, the conversation in India is about whether such a thing can ever happen here. Would a small-budget film – of any genre – be able to go toe-to-toe with a Cop Universe film or beat a tentpole starring one of the Khans? The moviegoing audience in India is pessimistic, saying that a combination of factors prevents India’s Obsession + Backrooms moment.
Putting Obsession and Backrooms’ success in context
Backrooms, made on a $10 million budget, grossed $117 million in its opening weekend, with $81 million from North America. This would be akin to a small film made on a ₹15-20 crore budget registering a ₹125-150 crore opening weekend in India, and grossing ₹200 crore worldwide. Obsession’s triumph is even more startling. It has a budget of just $750K and has amasshed $150 million worldwide. A comparable outcome in India would be a film made for less than ₹2 crore grossing ₹300 crore (and counting).
The only time an Indian film did something similar in the recent past was when Gujarati film Laalo Krishna Sada Sahaayte minted over ₹100 crore on a ₹50-lakh budget. But its success was limited to Gujarat and Maharashtra, never becoming truly national. Kantara achieved something similar upon its 2022 release. But no Hindi film has earned 20-30x its budget in decades now.
Viewers blame the audience and censors
But what makes India so unsupportive for small-scale films? Discussions on Reddit forums blame both the audience and the industry, as well as India’s infamous censors. “It’s a mixed bag of audience not really supporting indie and small-scale films, creators not wanting to alienate their audience by trying something risky, and production houses not supporting such scripts,” read a comment on Reddit.
Another Redditor put the blame squarely on the moviegoers. “Look at the type of posts on this sub. “Which Khan is going to deliver the next blockbuster?” is legitimately one of the top posts. The Indian audience doesn’t want to support smaller films; they want spectacle and big dumb movies. They also seem to equate making money with ‘being a good film’.”
Actor Nadeesh Nambi recently pointed out how censorship has also dampened viewer interest, using Obsession as an example. He said that when CBFC cuts parts of films deemed too violent or graphic, it discourages viewers from going to theatres. His argument may hold true, as indie horror films are known to push the envelope with violence for impact. If these films are diluted by censorship, the audience may feel it’s not worth the trip to the theatres.
It’s all about the perception
There is also the argument that perception drives the audience away many times. A Redditor pointed at Tu Yaa Main’s dull box office performance despite critical acclaim and wrote, “It was a very entertaining movie, with interesting and fresh camera angles and cinematography, unique use of songs, good acting by the leads and a plot that worked. Yet it flopped hard, fell on its face, because ppl without watching it kept screaming that it sucks and that it’s a remake and that the main actress is a nepo kid.”
Industry insiders say the perception can change only when these films receive infrastructure support and become more accessible. Speaking to HT recently, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar said, “People are waking up to it. It’s going to find its rhythm. There has to be a distribution system that is targeted to the audience, because there is definitely an audience for these films. We have to make it accessible to that audience, and it will thrive.”