Not all big-budget movies are successful at the box office, and not all successful films are necessarily made with huge production costs. Hence, it proves that the game changer is always the story that needs no added efforts to reach the audience. In the South film industry, many movies have set benchmarks upon release, especially low-budget ones. From Kantara to Lokah Chapter One: Chandra, here’s a list of 7 low-budget South films that turned out to be blockbusters at the box office.
1. Kantara
- Release Year: 2022
- Director: Rishab Shetty
- Cast: Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore, Achyuth Kumar, Pramod Shetty, Prakash Thuminad, Manasi Sudhir
Set in coastal Karnataka, Kantara explores sacred traditions, human greed, and nature. The story follows Shiva, who attempts to protect his village’s land from a corrupt forest officer and landlord. With Rishab Shetty in the lead role, Kantara did a huge business of Rs. 397 crore at the worldwide box office owing to its gripping story and jaw-dropping climax. Interestingly, the movie was mounted on just a budget of Rs. 16 crore.
2. Kartikeya 2
- Release Year: 2022
- Director: Chandoo Mondeti
- Cast: Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, Adithya Menon, Satya, Praveen, Adithya Menon
Released as the sequel to the 2014 released Karthikeya, it is a mystery-adventure action film. It tells the story of a doctor who embarks on a journey to uncover the mystery of an ancient idol of Lord Krishna. From mythology to science versus faith, Karthikeya 2 is presented as a fast-paced treasure hunt. The movie was a nationwide sensation upon its release. It turned out to be a massive success, with a worldwide gross collection of roughly around Rs. 110 crore.
3. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
- Release Year: 2025
- Director: Dominic Arun
- Cast: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen, Sandy, Chandu Salim Kumar, Arun Kurian, Nishanth Sagar
This Malayalam-language superhero film is produced by Dulquer Salmaan under his banner Wayfarer Films. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra revolves around a mysterious woman who arrives in Karnataka to fight evil. While she tries to keep her identity a secret, Chandra crosses paths with three young men and a ruthless officer.
Made on a production cost of Rs. 30 crore, Lokah Chapter One: Chandra stormed over Rs 300 crore gross at the worldwide box office, becoming the first ever Malayalam film to achieve this feat.
4. HanuMan
- Release Year: 2024
- Director: Prasanth Varma
- Cast: Teja Sajja, Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Samuthirakani, Vinay Rai, Vennela Kishore, and Raj Deepak Shetty
Touted to be the first installment of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe, HanuMan is one of the highest-grossing superhero films. The Telugu-language superhero film tells the story of Hanumanthu, who gains Hanuman’s powers after he comes across a mysterious gem. Thanks to its VFX, story, and engaging climax, the film proved to be a huge success at the box office despite its low budget.
Mounted on a low budget, the Teja Sajja starrer superhero action drama fetched around Rs. 296 crore gross at the worldwide box office.
5. Premalu
- Release Year: 2024
- Director: Girish A. D.
- Cast: Naslen, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap, Akhila Bhargavan, Shyam Mohan, Meenakshi Raveendran, Mathew Thomas and Althaf Salim
Coming from the Malayalam industry, the film is a romantic comedy that presents a fresh and humorous story. Premalu explores the lives of young adults who experience the joy of getting their first jobs, navigating independence after living away from home, and obviously, the sweetness of falling in love.
Backed by Fahadh Faasil’s production banner, Premalu grossed around Rs. 136 crore in its entire theatrical run at the worldwide box office.
6. Manjummel Boys
- Release Year: 2024
- Director: Chidambaram
- Cast: Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Deepak Parambol, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman and Shebin Benson
The movie follows a group of friends from Manjummel near Kochi, who decide to go on a vacation in Kodaikanal. All goes well until one of them gets trapped in the Guna Caves, and then the film transitions into a survival thriller.
Mounted on a low budget, Manjummel Boys did a commendable job at the box office and earned around Rs. 242 crore worldwide. It was the highest grossing Malayalam movie until Mohanlal’s L2 Empuraan surpassed it in 2025.
7. Su From So
- Release Year: 2025
- Director: J. P. Thuminad
- Cast: Shaneel Gautham, J. P. Thuminad, Sandhya Arakere, Prakash Thuminad, Deepak Rai Panaje, Mime Ramdas and Raj B. Shetty
The social drama/comedy film tells a simple story set in the coastal village of Marlur. Ashoka, a fun-loving young man, has an innocent crush on a girl, but people in the village misunderstand it. Soon, rumours spread that he is possessed by a ghost named Sulochana. This Kannada movie earned huge praise and nationwide attention for its every aspect.
Despite its low production budget, Su From So became the second-highest-grossing Kannada movie of 2025. It earned around Rs. 120 crore gross at the worldwide box office.
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Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
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