Anupam Kher’s directorial Tanvi – The Great enjoyed a good run at international film festivals before arriving in Indian theatres. The film was released on July 18 but faced unexpected competition from Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara. The romantic musical, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, dominated the box office, leaving little to no room for other releases like Tanvi – The Great and Sonakshi Sinha’s Nikita Roy. Kher’s film, which stars debutant Shubhangi Dutt in the lead role, managed to collect just Rs 2 crore in its first five days of release.

Anupam Kher on films` budget

In an interview with Republic following the film’s release, Anupam Kher revealed that the project was crowd-funded. He shared that the financer who had initially agreed to back the film pulled out just weeks before it was scheduled to go on floors. With the film at risk of being delayed, Kher reached out to doctors and businessmen in his circle, seeking financial support. He also stated that he chose not to work with a studio because he wanted to retain full creative control. The film, he said, was made on a budget of Rs 50 crore.

Speaking about the film’s budget and performance, Kher said, “It has not delivered earth-shattering collections or anything. Unfortunately, in the last 10 years, cinema has become so business-oriented that if a film doesn’t do well commercially, we assume it’s not a great film… I’m not speaking defensively. I’m also a part of the business world.”