With Love Budget vs. Box Office ROI: Inside The 21-Day Industry Destruction and 500% Profit!
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Small Movie, Massive Money: How This 5-Crore Small Film ‘With Love’ Is Teaching Bollywood A Lesson
Mumbai, Friday, 27 February 2026 — The Indian film industry is waking up to a massive shock today as the 21-day box office report for the Tamil rom-com With Love shows a level of profitability that most superstars only dream of. As of 8am IST, the film has officially collected an India Net total of ₹28.22 Cr against a tiny production budget of just ₹5 Cr.
This means the film has not just recovered its costs; it has delivered a staggering return on investment (ROI) that has sent ripples through the Mumbai and Chennai trade circuits. With an India Gross of ₹33.23 Cr and a steady ₹3.3 Cr coming from overseas markets, the Worldwide (WW) total now stands at a solid ₹36.53 Cr. In an era where ₹200-crore films are struggling to break even, this small-scale miracle directed by Madhan is showing everyone that a well-told story is the ultimate currency at the ticket window.
The industry is currently staring at these numbers in disbelief.
For weeks, the “fan wars” on social media were focused on big-budget actioners, but With Love has hijacked the conversation by becoming the third most profitable Indian film of 2026 so far. It is a massive win for debut lead actor Abishan Jeevinth and actress Anaswara Rajan, whose chemistry has clearly resonated with the “Gen Z” crowd.
Producers Soundarya Rajinikanth and Magesh Raj Pasilian have managed to turn a ₹5 Cr investment into a ₹36 Cr global phenomenon in just three weeks. But how did a movie with no “mass” hero or expensive VFX sustain such a long run while other big-budget movies crashed on their first Monday? You have to look at the daily trends to see the hidden pattern that most analysts missed during the opening weekend.
With LoveDay 21
Here is my take: With Love didn’t succeed because of marketing; it succeeded because of “Valentine’s Week” timing and an incredible hold on its second Saturday.
The film actually saw its biggest single-day jump on Day 9, which was February 14th, proving that the youth were using this film as their primary date-night destination. Most “experts” thought the film would die after the first week, but it actually grew stronger.
However, here is a contrarian thought for you: Is the success of With Love actually a warning sign for the “superstar culture” in India? If a ₹5 Cr movie can make seven times its budget, why should any producer risk ₹300 Cr on a single film?
The ROI Evidence: Breaking Down the Profitability
The numbers don’t lie. When you compare the budget to the collection, the “Multiplication Factor” is insane.
- Production Budget: ₹5 Cr.
- Total India Net: ₹28.22 Cr.
- Total Worldwide Gross: ₹36.53 Cr.
- Total ROI Percentage: Approximately 564% in just 21 days.
This level of profit puts the film in a very elite club. Usually, a movie is considered a “Super Hit” if it doubles its budget in net collections. With Love has done more than five times that. It is currently outperforming almost every mid-budget drama released in the first quarter of 2026.
The Stability Block: A Masterclass in Holding Screens
Looking at the day-wise breakdown, the stability of this film is legendary. It started with a modest ₹1.6 Cr on Day 1, which many critics dismissed as a “slow start”. But the jump on Day 2 was a massive +68.75%, taking it to ₹2.7 Cr. This was the first sign that word-of-mouth was working.
The real “evidence” of its blockbuster status came on Day 9. On Valentine’s Day, the film collected ₹3 Cr, which was a +130.77% jump from the previous day.
Even in its third week, the film is refusing to crash. On Day 21 (Thursday), it earned ₹0.45 Cr, which was actually a +9.76% increase from Wednesday. This shows that even after 21 days, the movie is still finding new audiences in evening shows across Chennai, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru.
day-wise breakdown
With Love Box Office Collection Breakdown
| Day | Date | India Gross (₹ Cr) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 01 | 06/02/2026 | 1.88 Cr | - |
| Day 02 | 07/02/2026 | 3.18 Cr | +69.15% |
| Day 03 | 08/02/2026 | 3.65 Cr | +14.78% |
| Day 04 | 09/02/2026 | 1.77 Cr | -51.51% |
| Day 05 | 10/02/2026 | 2.12 Cr | +19.77% |
| Day 06 | 11/02/2026 | 1.87 Cr | -11.79% |
| Day 07 | 12/02/2026 | 1.47 Cr | -21.39% |
| Day 08 | 13/02/2026 | 1.53 Cr | +4.08% |
| Day 09 | 14/02/2026 | 3.54 Cr | +131.37% |
| Day 10 | 15/02/2026 | 2.47 Cr | -30.23% |
| Day 11 | 16/02/2026 | 1.18 Cr | -52.23% |
| Day 12 | 17/02/2026 | 1.06 Cr | -10.17% |
| Day 13 | 18/02/2026 | 0.81 Cr | -23.58% |
| Day 14 | 19/02/2026 | 0.62 Cr | -23.46% |
| Day 15 | 20/02/2026 | 1.12 Cr | +80.65% |
| Day 16 | 21/02/2026 | 1.36 Cr | +21.43% |
| Day 17 | 22/02/2026 | 1.29 Cr | -5.15% |
| Day 18 | 23/02/2026 | 0.57 Cr | -55.81% |
| Day 19 | 24/02/2026 | 0.73 Cr | +28.07% |
| Day 20 | 25/02/2026 | 0.48 Cr | -34.25% |
| Day 21 | 26/02/2026 | 0.53 Cr | +10.42% |
| TOTAL COLLECTION | - | ₹33.23 Cr | - |
The Impact Factor: Producers and Cast
For the cast and crew, this isn’t just a movie; it’s a career-defining moment.
- Abishan Jeevinth: After directing the hit Tourist Family, his debut as a lead actor has been a massive commercial success.
- Anaswara Rajan: She has solidified her position as a “bankable” female lead who can pull audiences without a male superstar.
- Soundarya Rajinikanth: Her presentation through Zion Films has proven that she has a sharp eye for “new-age” love stories that appeal to the modern Indian reader and viewer.
- Sean Roldan: The music was a major driver, with tracks like “Aiyo Kadhaley” going viral and keeping the movie alive on social media reels.
Conclusion: The Future of the “Small Movie” Model
Looking forward, With Love is going to be the template for young filmmakers in 2026. It proves that you don’t need a ₹100 Cr budget if you have a “relatable” script and a perfect release window. The film is now heading toward its OTT release on Netflix, where it is expected to command a very high price due to its theatrical success.
The build-up for Abishan’s next project with Soundarya Rajinikanth has already started, and it’s rumored to be a much bigger budget venture thanks to the massive profits from With Love. This movie has successfully completed the “Cycle of Success”: low cost, high engagement, and massive ROI.
In my experience as a box office analyst, With Love is the “Good News” the industry needed. It proves that the audience hasn’t stopped going to theaters; they have just stopped going for “boring” big movies. This is a 10/10 performance on the profitability scale. It is a “Blockbuster” in every sense of the word.
Question For You: Do you think With Love would have been this successful if it was released in a crowded month like December, or did the February Valentine’s window make it a hit? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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