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Did you know this Kannada film earned 100x its budget, ran in theater for a year and even faced legal trouble?
Kannada filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat's 2016 directorial Mungaru Male ran in PVR Bangalore for 460 days. The film became the highest-grosser during its release in Karnataka.
India has witnessed many high-budget films that have faced some significant commercial failures in recent years. This trend is often attributed to a combination of factors, including high production costs, star fees, poor scripts, and a disconnect with audience preferences. Sometimes, a low-budgeted movie can also do wonders. We are talking about the 2006 Kannada film, Mungaru Male.
Mungaru Male was made on a Rs 70 lakh budget
With a modest budget of Rs 70 lakh, Mungaru Male, the romantic drama achieved what many blockbuster productions only dream of. It became a monumental commercial hit and broke records while earning over 100 times its original production cost.
Directed by screenwriter-filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat, the film starred then newcomers Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi as the main leads. Veteran actor Ananth Nag played a pivotal role in it.
Mungaru Male ran in a multiplex for 460 days
Interestingly, Mungaru Male ran in a theater for an entire year. It had an impressive 460-day run at a PVR in Bangalore during its release. Reportedly, the Kannada film recorded an estimated worldwide gross of Rs 75 crore, out of which Rs 57 crore came from Karnataka.
The Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi starrer was the highest grosser in the home state during its release. It also became the first Kannada movie to surpass the Rs 50 crore gross mark worldwide back then.
In a 2018 interview with Bangalore Mirror, Director Bhat once spoke about the success of Mungaru Male by saying that it was all "fate". "How it happened and why it happened will remain a suspense. So many things came together. From almost not being made, the film became a landmark," he had said.
When Income Tax Department conducted raid at producer's home
Despite the film’s immense success, the journey was not without its challenges for producer E. Krishna. The Income Tax department conducted a raid at his home. The IT department alleged that the film collected a staggering amount of Rs 67.50 crore net and demanded tax payment for the same.
Mungaru Male has been remade in several langauges such as Telugu film, Vaana, and Bengali movie, Premer Kahini, both of which were released in 2008. It also includes the 2009 Odia film, Romeo- The Lover Boy and the 2017 Marathi film, Premay Namaha.
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