Director Ankit Sakhiya on how the film found its people: 'We showed the film to audiences from all walks of life'

'Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate' has now been released in Hindi theaters across the country. Before this, the film had already created history in Gujarati cinema by crossing the Rs 100 crore mark.In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, director Ankit Sakhiya says the journey of the film was slow and careful. While making it, the team felt the film was good, but they never expected such a big response. “To be honest, while we were making the film, we felt it was good and that it would reach people in its own way,” he said. “We believed it had something different to offer, but we never imagined it would connect with so many people in such a short span of time.”After the film was ready, the makers did not rush to release it. Instead, they spent nearly one full year showing the film to small groups of people. These were not critics or industry people. They were everyday viewers. “After the film was ready, we began showing it to small groups and asked them very honestly what they felt about it,” Sakhiya said. “We wanted to know what they liked, what they didn’t, and why.” Each screening had around 500 to 600 people, and the team listened closely to every reaction.The responses slowly gave the team strong confidence. According to Sakhiya, many people said the same thing after watching the film. “People kept telling us that it felt fresh, that they had never seen anything like those scenes before, and that gave us confidence,” he said. This was not a short process. “This process continued for almost a year,” he added. That time helped the team understand how deeply the film was connecting with people.The director shared that the screenings were done for all kinds of people. “We showed the film to audiences from all walks of life, from watchmen and cyclists to senior professionals and business owners,” he said. During this phase, the team noticed something special. Families were enjoying the film together. “That’s when we realized something special was happening; the film was being embraced by entire families,” Sakhiya explained. “Everyone, across age groups, was enjoying it together.” That moment made the team believe in the theater experience. “We knew then that if families came to the theater, the experience would be truly special, something rare and unforgettable.”The Hindi version of 'Laalo' hit the big screens on January 9, and it competed with 'The Raja Saab' and 'Dhurandhar.'