Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate Movie Review | Anupama Chopra | THR India

Anupama Chopra reviews Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate, the Hindi dub of Gujarati cinema's biggest blockbuster. Released in October with minimal fanfare, the original became a word-of-mouth sensation and the first Gujarati film to cross 100 crores at the box office. With a modest budget of one crore 10 lakh, Anupama argues it's arguably 2025's most successful film in terms of ROI. Debutant director Ankit Sakhiya has crafted an emotionally resonant morality tale about Laalo, a rickshaw driver in Junagadh whose life has been eroded by alcohol addiction.

Anupama highlights Karan Joshi's layered performance as the broken protagonist, rendering his hollow masculinity, cruelty, and inherent goodness with equal conviction. Shruhad Goswami plays Lord Krishna with a lovely lingering smile and benevolent mischief, while Reeva Rachh delivers a solid turn as Tulsi. Though the film occasionally slips into preachiness, Ankit largely resists heavy-handedness, presenting Lord Krishna as a friend and guide. Anupama concludes that while the film draws from Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life and Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped, it ultimately delivers a universal message about living with grace and generosity.