Kamal Haasan: Pushpak made for ₹15 lakh, would earn ₹200 crore today
Synopsis
Kamal Haasan's revelation that Pushpak — a no-dialogue classic — was shot for just ₹15 lakh yet could earn ₹200 crore today is a quiet indictment of modern cinema's profit-first mindset. It also shines a spotlight on 94-year-old Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who returns to direct India's first musical fantasy, proving that passion in filmmaking has no retirement age.
Key Takeaways
Kamal Haasan revealed that Pushpak was made on a budget of just ₹15 lakh .
He estimated the film would have collected over ₹200 crore if made in today's market.
Haasan criticised modern filmmaking's profit-first approach, calling for a return to passion-driven cinema.
Veteran director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao , aged 94 , is returning to direction with Sing Geetham , billed as India's first musical fantasy.
Sing Geetham releases on 11 June 2025 , produced by Nag Ashwin under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema .
Actor and parliamentarian Kamal Haasan has revealed that the cult classic Pushpak — directed by veteran filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao — was produced on a budget of just ₹15 lakh, and that the dialogue-free masterpiece would have grossed over ₹200 crore had it been made in today's market. Haasan made the disclosure at the pre-release event of Singeetham's upcoming film Sing Geetham in Chennai on 8 June 2025.
Passion Over Profit
Reflecting on the ethos behind Pushpak, Haasan drew a sharp contrast between the filmmaking sensibilities of that era and the commercially driven approach prevalent today. 'Cinema is all about passion. And then only, it becomes a business. We are doing it the other way around. We now check how much a film will make — 100 crores, 200 crores, 300 crores. No, the day we made Pushpak for 15 lakhs, we felt like we made 150 crores,' he said.
He added that the industry had yet to fully monetise its creative output, noting: 'That's the truth of the industry. We don't realise. We don't even fully monetise our films. We are learning now.'
Celebrating Singeetham at 94
Haasan reserved particular admiration for Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who is returning to the director's chair at the age of 94 with Sing Geetham. 'He's always ahead of Gen Z. Age is a nuisance. But mind can surpass it. And he's a great example. And I'm learning. In that, I want to be his assistant director,' Haasan said.
The veteran director's career spans decades and nearly 60 films across multiple languages, consistently redefining cinematic storytelling in India. Pushpak remains among the most celebrated entries in that body of work.
About Sing Geetham
Sing Geetham is billed as India's first musical fantasy and is slated to release on 11 June 2025. The film has been produced by Nag Ashwin under the banners of Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, and features Ayaan, Ahilya Bamroo, and Shalini Kondepudi in lead roles.
With Singeetham's return generating significant buzz, the release will test whether the industry's appetite for passion-driven, unconventional cinema has grown alongside its box-office ambitions.
Point of View
Decades after release, makes the case that passion-led cinema generates returns that outlast any box-office weekend. The irony is that this argument is being made at a pre-release event — itself a marketing ritual of the very commercial machinery Haasan is questioning. Whether Sing Geetham, arriving as India's first musical fantasy from a 94-year-old director, can rekindle that spirit or merely becomes a nostalgic footnote will be the real test.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kamal Haasan reveal about Pushpak's budget?
Kamal Haasan disclosed that Pushpak, the acclaimed dialogue-free film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, was made on a budget of just ₹15 lakh. He added that the film would have collected more than ₹200 crore had it been made in today's market.
Where did Kamal Haasan make these remarks?
Haasan made the remarks at the pre-release event of director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao's upcoming film Sing Geetham, held in Chennai on 8 June 2025.
What is Sing Geetham and when does it release?
Sing Geetham is billed as India's first musical fantasy, directed by the 94-year-old veteran Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. It is produced by Nag Ashwin under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, and is set to release on 11 June 2025.
Who stars in Sing Geetham?
The film features Ayaan, Ahilya Bamroo, and Shalini Kondepudi in the lead roles.
What was Kamal Haasan's broader message at the event?
Haasan argued that cinema should be driven by passion first and commerce second, criticising the modern trend of evaluating films purely on projected box-office returns before they are made.
