Latest news with #PoojaGandhi
Pink Villa
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Did you know this Kannada film earned 100x its budget, ran in theater for a year and even faced legal trouble?
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.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
India's most profitable film earned 100x its budget with no stars, ran for a year in multiplexes, producer faced IT raid
To a layman, a successful film may look like a hit. The words superhit and blockbuster are also casually thrown around these days. But largely, the entertainment industry has parameters to define these terms. Any film making twice its landing cost at the box office can be termed a superhit. Anything more is blockbuster territory. Very few films ever go beyond 5x of a budget. Then what of this one film that earned over a hundred times its budget, and ran in theatres for over a year. This is the story of India's most profitable film. India's most profitable film was made for just ₹ 70 lakh. India's most profitable film In 2006, writer-director Yograj Bhatt made a romantic drama titled Mungaru Male. The low-budget Kannada film starred up-and-coming actors Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi, along with veteran thespian Anant Nag. The film was mounted on a budget of ₹70 lakh. Upon its release in December, Mungaru Male became a sleeper hit, celebrating golden jubilees in many places and becoming the highest-grossing Kannada film ever. It became the first film to complete one year in a multiplex as it ran in PVR Bangalore for 460 days, and also became the first Kannada film to cross ₹50 crore worldwide. By the end of its run, Mungaru Male was estimated to have earned ₹75 crore worldwide. A staggering ₹57 crore of it came from Karnataka, where the film was labelled an industry hit. Mungaru Male's impact and legacy Both Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi were relatively unknown when the film was released. But its success turned them into overnight stars. Both actors gave other hits in the years to come, becoming the most sought-after male and female stars in Kannada cinema over the next half a decade. However, the success was bittersweet for the film's producer, E. Krishna. The Income Tax department claimed that Mungaru Male had earned ₹67.50 crore net, and demanded that tax be paid on that. They even raided the producer for it. Mungaru Male's box office records stood for over a decade until many were broken by KGF Chapter 1. The film was remade in Telugu, Bengali, Odia, and Marathi and spawned a spiritual sequel, Mungaru Male 2, which was released in 2016. Mungaru Male has enjoyed a cult following among Kannada audiences, elevated by its repeated reruns on TV and recent OTT release.
Toronto Star
06-08-2025
- Toronto Star
How the Trader Joe's tote took over Toronto streets to become this summer's It bag
For Pooja Gandhi, it started with the chicken soup dumplings. Before long, she and her brother were making yearly road trips across the border to Trader Joe's in Buffalo — for dumplings, yes, but also Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and the Holy Grail of TJ's products: a canvas Trader Joe's tote bag. 'It became this thing. When I went to the states, I had to get my hands on it,' said Gandhi. The stylish 20-year-old University of Toronto student purchased the larger version of the tote and uses it for everything — to cart her laptop and supplies to class, as a carry-on when travelling, you name it.
Toronto Star
06-08-2025
- Toronto Star
How the Trader Joe's tote took over Toronto streets and became this summer's It bag
For Pooja Gandhi, it started with the chicken soup dumplings. Before long, she and her brother were making yearly road trips across the border to Trader Joe's in Buffalo — for dumplings, yes, but also Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and the Holy Grail of TJ's products: a canvas Trader Joe's tote bag. 'It became this thing. When I went to the states, I had to get my hands on it,' said Gandhi. The stylish 20-year-old University of Toronto student purchased the larger version of the tote and uses it for everything — to cart her laptop and supplies to class, as a carry-on when travelling, you name it.
