Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, actor-filmmaker Anshuman Jha’s directorial debut, has emerged as a quiet success story — recording an opening of nearly ₹2 million INR in its first five days and holding its ground across weekdays. A rarity for independent films in India. While the number may seem modest in isolation, it’s a significant win for genre-based, content-driven cinema, especially given the film’s limited release strategy and polarised critical response. Despite releasing in just 60 screens across 15 cities Only, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli has performed on par — and in some markets, even better — than larger releases such as Jugnuma, which opened on nearly 200 screens, and other recent studio-backed titles in terms of numbers generated in opening week.
This steady box office performance underscores the growing audience appetite for unconventional, high-concept theatrical experiences, and reaffirms the potential of small, well-crafted films to find their space in cinemas. The film is also being touted as acclaimed actor Rasika Dugal’s career-best performance. Driven by the unique collaboration between First Ray Films and Max Marketing, the release focused on a targeted audience strategy that maximized both visibility and impact despite the film’s indie scale, with Cinépolis India providing distribution support.
With no major new release this coming Friday, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli is poised to enjoy an elongated theatrical run — and could well emerge as the underdog game-changer for independent cinema distribution models in India.
Says Director Anshuman Jha, "Everyone said we were hoping against hope by going theatrical with Lord Curzon Ki Haveli — but we believed in the film, and in the intelligence of our audience. Today, I’m just grateful to those who still walk into a theatre for stories that dare to be different." A darkly comic, Hitchcockian thriller, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli features Arjun Mathur, Rasika Dugal, Zoha Rahman, and Paresh Pahuja in pivotal roles, and is currently playing at select theatres across India.