India, Sept. 5 -- Big-budget films may dominate the box office, but the streak of low-budget films winning over theatre audiences remains strong in 2026. The year has further reinforced a trend seen for years: audiences will turn up for films that connect with them, no matter how big or small the budget. This follows the success of last year's surprise small-budget hits such as Saiyaara, which showed that strong audience connect can outweigh star power.

2026 has shown that "content is king" and audiences are the ultimate judges. A number of films made on modest budgets have found a sizeable audience in theatres this year. Hanuman Ansh, made for around Rs.2 crore, collected Rs.1.08 crore in its first week and about Rs.40 lakh in its secon...