Somewhere I came across an analysis that said Little Hearts, a small film, has joined the list of this year’s super hits that were made on a low budget but yielded huge profits.
In that analysis, a few examples were given:
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Sankranti Vastunnam was made with a budget of ₹50 crore and collected ₹303 crore.
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Mahavatar Narasimha, produced with ₹15 crore, went on to earn ₹315 crore.
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Ahaan Pandey’s Saiyara, with a budget of ₹40 crore, made a whopping ₹569 crore.
Similarly, Mohanlal’s Thudarum (₹35 crore budget) earned ₹235 crore, while Dulquer’s Kotta Lokam (₹30 crore budget) collected ₹185 crore. Now, Little Hearts too has found a place in that list.
Of course, all that is true yet their success scale is entirely different. Those films were huge hits. Little Hearts is also a success, but its earnings so far (within the first 5–6 days) are only around ₹12–13 crore. Since it’s a very small film with just a ₹2 crore budget, those numbers are actually impressive. The returns are strong compared to the investment.
With hardly any notable releases in the market, coupled with positive reviews and strong word of mouth, the collections are likely to continue. However, it may not touch the ₹100-crore range. Still, one thing is clear—
The movie itself is light-hearted and entertaining. The hero-heroine chemistry works well, the hero’s friend delivers good comic punches, and the overall comedy-driven narrative clicked with audiences. Set in the 1990s backdrop of coaching centers before the Jio SIM era the story resonates with that generation. Shivani Nagaram, as the female lead, has also impressed with her performance.
At a time when several big-budget films with massive casts and hundreds of crores spent on visual effects have flopped, a small project like Little Hearts, made with what looks like peanuts in comparison, has emerged a winner. This is a lesson for the film industry.
Grand budgets, star power, and flashy graphics alone don’t guarantee success. Audiences want strong storytelling and engaging narration. Even if the cast is made up of lesser-known faces, the audience is ready to make the film a hit and reward it with their money. They’re also showing that it’s not just foreign-looking stars who deserve the spotlight local Telugu talent, too, will be celebrated and supported.
