Yash Soni admits Laalo hit his Diwali film Chaniya Toli

Gujarati actor Yash Soni has said his Diwali release Chaniya Toli was affected by the unexpected blockbuster run of Laalo, Krishna Sada Sahaayate. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Soni confirmed that the small-budget film, which released two weeks before Chaniya Toli, picked up in its third week and went on to collect Rs 104 crore, becoming the first Gujarati film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark.

"It was a bit of a downer that Chaniya Toli got affected," Soni told Bollywood Hungama. "But at the same time, it was a matter of pride that a Gujarati film collected Rs 100 crore for the first time. It has set a benchmark that we all have to now chase." Chaniya Toli had earned Rs 15 crore by its second weekend before Laalo's surge.

Separately, Bollywood Hungama reported that Soni's 2019 film Chaal Jeevi Laiye, often called the 'Sholay and DDLJ of Gujarati cinema', still runs in theatres nearly six years later, with the makers fighting piracy "with an iron hand" to protect its historic run. Soni also criticised OTT platforms for underpaying for Gujarati films, though he noted Netflix recently picked up Vash Level 2.