Faith can move mountains, also fill up seats at cinemas

Mumbai: Amid the din created by big-budget Indian and Hollywood movies, several faith-based films that amalgamate personal stories with cardinal ideas of deities and saints have scored strong success at the box office. These include films such as Laalo-Krishna Sada Sahaayate (Gujarati, 2025), Hanuman Ansh (Hindi, 2026) and Irumudi (Telugu, 2026), all of which were made on small budgets and feature faith-based but non-mythological stories.

Made on budgets ranging from ₹2 crore to ₹35 crore, these films have collected ₹45-₹140 crore from the box office. Critically, some of the films have weathered stiff competition from big-budget movies such as Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups, Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Hollywood spectacle films in India.

These films drive the importance of community experiences, faith and spirituality in bringing audiences to theatres, producers, distributors and exhibitors told ET.

A key aspect that binds these films is that they are not devotional in the traditional sense. They are about existential problems and how fundamental teachings of a saint, or a deity, help people to deal with these problems. "These films weave faith into mainstream storytelling elements such as family, emotion, mythology and culture, thereby extending their appeal beyond believers," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director of film production and distribution firm Karmic Films.

Also Read: Lights, camera, action! Hollywood set for record India box-office glory

Irumudi is the story of an alcoholic father. On his daughter's request, he performs a 41-day Ayyappa Deeksha by abstaining from alcohol. After dealing with big challenges, he gets reformed. Laalo features an auto-rickshaw driver who is guided by Lord Krishna to come to terms with his past and mistakes. Hanuman Ansh tells the legendary stories that occurred in the life of the saint Neem Karoli Baba.

In India's vast cinematic history, there are many examples of successful faith-based films. Jai Santoshi Maa, which was released a few months before Sholay in 1975, stood up to the competition and collected close to ₹5 crore on a budget of ₹30 lakh. "Faith has always been part of our storytelling. As the world becomes more uncertain and complex, people often return to faith for comfort and strength. That is also why films like Laalo, Irumudi and Deolban connect with audiences," said film producer Naveen Chandra.

Also Read: TV channel exits accelerate as India’s linear television model comes under pressure

According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Centre, 82% of Indian adults describe religion as very important in their lives. Also, a 2026 study across 180 countries reported in the academic journal Wellbeing, Space and Society found that chances of people reporting stress nearly doubled in the past eighteen years. Audiences have appreciated the simplicity of these faith-based films, said exhibitors.

"These films have been made with the right intentions. Audiences who value culturally rooted stories rewarded it," observed Vishek Chauhan, chief executive of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar.

Producers increasingly believe that faith-based films can be a sustainable genre given their favourable economics of low budget, no reliance on stars, community experience and high word-of-mouth communications.