In today’s era, films are not made with a small budget. There are times when some films become of expensive films and are made on a huge budget. These films create a huge buzz at the box office and receive extraordinary success. On the other hand, some films become blockbuster despite 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? Yes, you read that right. Despite, the film collecting huge amount, the film’s creators were declared bankrupt.
Jai Santoshi Maa was released on May 30, 1975, and it reportedly 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.
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 from Sacnilk, 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. Can you believe, 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.
