India, Dec. 26 -- This was a year when little guys saved the day for entertainment in India.

While there were hits such as Chhaava, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 and Sitaare Zameen Par, there was also disappointment galore. Salman Khan registered his second-lowest opening ever with Sikandar. Hrithik Roshan and Junior NTR joining hands couldn't boost War 2 at the box office. Rumours that Shahid Kapoor's fee for the policeman-with-amnesia drama Deva made up half the film's budget did nothing to win over audiences.

Films made on shoestring budgets, meanwhile, gave viewers and the industry plenty of joy. Debutant director Rohan Kanawade presented one of 2025's tenderest stories in the queer romantic drama Sabar Bonda. (It also won a Grand J...