When Curry Barker made Obsession, he never imagined the low-budget horror film would become one of the biggest Hollywood success stories in India. Yet months after its release, the filmmaker is still trying to process the scale of its popularity.
The 26-year-old director recently spoke to Variety India about the film’s performance and admitted that its reception has taken him completely by surprise. “I definitely did not expect Obsession to be a big hit in India. I didn’t expect it to be a big hit anywhere, really,” Barker said.
He added, “You hope and dream that your movie is successful and that it resonates with people. But I can’t believe what it’s doing. I mean, we made this movie for nothing. I just can’t believe that it’s getting the recognition that it’s getting.
Breaking Records Worldwide
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is the film’s modest scale. Produced on a budget of around $750,000, Obsession has gone on to collect more than $250 million worldwide.
The film has also emerged as the highest-grossing Hollywood release of 2026 in India after surpassing Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, it has earned approximately Rs 92.09 crore gross and Rs 77.30 crore net at the Indian box office.
Apart from ticket sales, Barker revealed that he has been fascinated by the online response coming from India.
“The amount of comedy videos and fan art that people are making for the film is really cool to see,” he said. Barker also mentioned that he enjoys watching audiences recreate scenes from the movie and give them a humorous twist.
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Barker Reflects On Success
Despite the attention surrounding Obsession, Barker says his biggest concern is staying true to his filmmaking style.
“I’m actually more nervous about myself than the studio system,” he explained. “I’m trying to just cut out all the noise and try to remember whatever made me unique or made people like my voice in the first place.”
The filmmaker added that Obsession worked because he wasn’t trying to please anyone else while making it. “I don’t want the noise around the success of Obsession to get to me,” he said.
What Next?
Meanwhile, Barker has already wrapped filming on his next supernatural horror project, Anything But Ghosts, starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard for Blumhouse.
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