Bollywood has the chance to produce movies in a league of its own. With almost 1.5 billion potential viewers, it is no surprise that the Indian film industry has been booming for over 5 decades. However, with 100–200 films released per year, not all of them are going to thrive at the box office, no matter how much money and big names they have attached.
At the end of the day, predicting the audience’s reaction is more of an art than a science. Even the most skilled professionals cannot tell if a movie will fall flat and miss the mark. After all, nobody gets into the business hoping to create box office bombs; there are large crews working endlessly for months or years, and careers at stake. However, when a viewer doesn’t connect with the on-screen content, even the greatest powers in the world cannot save a film from crashing; not all released films, despite their budgets, are good introductions to the Bollywood industry. Here are 20 of Bollywood’s biggest box office failures of all time.
‘Tubelight’ (2017)
Salman Khan hasn’t had much luck with blockbusters in the last decade. After the massive success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the star returned in 2017 with a brand-new film featuring a promising story. Set in pre-independence India, the movie revolves around Laxman, a boy with an intellectual disability who grew up among bullies despite his younger brother, Bharat, having his back. The boys somehow get through Independence, and when another era falls upon them, Bharat is drafted into the army, and Laxman is left with nothing and must defend himself.
Director Kabir Khan drew inspiration for Tubelight from Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s touching true-story film Little Boy. While the original is considered a masterpiece, the Bollywood version fails to capture the magic. The movie had a strong opening but soon faltered at the box office, falling below expectations. Costing approximately $23 million, the movie grossed only about $32 million at the box office.
‘Guzaarish’ (2010)
Starring two of the greatest actors Bollywood has produced, this 2010 entry by Sanjay Leela Bhansali had only one good thing – the songs. Guzaarish is a heart-rending story about Ethan, a once-highly acclaimed magician. Now a quadriplegic, Ethan has lost his will to live and has filed a petition for euthanasia. Meanwhile, there are only two people in his life: Omar, a young magician who wishes to learn from Ethan, and Sofia, his nurse.
Hritik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are both incredible actors, and while the film gives them a place to shine and delivers some beautifully shot scenes, it still lacks the basics to become a commercial hit: its storyline falls flat, and its narrative is clumsy and choppy. On an estimated budget of $8.92 million, the movie grossed only $7.29 million worldwide.
‘Joker’ (2012)
Akshay Kumar is probably the only actor in the industry who works 365 days a year, with at least 3 releases each year since his rise to fame. With such a heavy workload, it is only natural that some projects fail. Joker is a science fiction adventure born from the mind of Shirish Kunder. It tells the story of Agastya, a scientist, and his girlfriend, Diya, who travel to the fictional town of Paglapur to check up on his father’s health. But upon arrival, they realize that the village folk are riddled with plight, and are still living in fear of the Germans. Agastya decides to improve their situation by lying to them about an alien invasion.
The movie is as bizarre as its plot. It contains shots of UFOs and artificial aliens to anchor the protagonist’s lie. A disappointment from start to finish, Joker is a movie you should stay 10 yards away from. Joker grossed only around $5.5 million on a $7 million budget.
‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!’ (2013)
When it comes to sequels, Bollywood has made several attempts to capture the brilliance of its predecessors, and only a few have turned out well. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! simply isn’t one of them. The 2010 Milan Luthria movie Once Upon a Time in Mumbai was a hit, garnering a massive fanbase. But the sequel fails to deliver on the gangster drama it promises.
The story takes place twelve years later, with Don Shoaib Khan taking over as the mafia leader after murdering Sultan Mirza. When he takes slum kid Aslam under his wings, conflict arises because they both fall in love with the same woman. The biggest letdowns of the film were its casting and character development. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! made slightly over its budget of $15.65 million at the box office.
‘Zanjeer’ (2013)
Filmed synchronously in Hindi and Telugu, Zanjeer is a modern remake of the 1973 classic movie of the same name. Taking on Amitabh “Big B” Bachchan’s iconic role is Ram Charan, who was quite popular in the South but only gained a broader audience with his big Bollywood debut. The movie follows ACP Vijay Verma, an honest officer fighting against a corrupt society and privileged politicians who spread their dirt. His greatest foe is Teja, an infamous and dishonorable gangster.
The original Zanjeer is Bollywood’s precious property, and the remake only tarnishes its glory. The acting and dialogue delivery are lacking, and the film features too many songs, ultimately distracting the audience from the narrative. Zanjeer only made $3.8 million on its approximate $5.4 million budget.
‘Bombay Velvet’ (2015)
Johnny (Ranbir Kapoor) is a mild-mannered, down-on-his-luck commoner who wants nothing more than to win Rosie (Anushka Sharma)’s affection. The quickest way, he believes, is to get involved in crime and display his suave and unforgiving attitude along the way. However, the seedy underworld poses its own challenges.
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Bombay Velvet features an ensemble cast that includes Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Kay Kay Menon, Vicky Kaushal, and Karan Johar. Promising to deliver a heavy gangster drama, the movie was a huge box-office flop. Against an $18 million production budget, the movie grossed only around $6.47 million due to a patchy script and surprisingly weak acting.
‘Shaandaar’ (2015)
Shaandaar follows the high jinks pulled by Jagjinder Joginder, a wedding planner who isn’t just doing his job of planning the lavish wedding of Bipin Arora’s daughter, but also willfully pouring himself in their family drama and falling for Alia Arora, the bride-to-be. Set in London, the film has an attractive aesthetic but is often undermined by sloppy writing and over-the-top pranks from an otherwise promising cast.
Actress Alia Bhatt has had a remarkable streak in her decade-long career. She started off strong with the coming-of-age romance Student of the Year, then went on to deliver hits such as Highway and 2 States. Shaandaar was her first (and only) film with Shaahid Kapoor. Considering how talented both actors are, fans had high expectations, but the movie didn’t quite hit the sweet spot. Shaandaar made a slight profit at the box office, earning $14.12 million against a $9 million budget, but it still fell well short of expectations.
‘Fitoor’ (2016)
The only win for Fitoor was its mesmerizing, instantly addictive soundtrack, featuring songs like ‘Pashmeena’ and ‘Tere Liye.’ Starring Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, this 2016 film, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, tells a moving story of love separated by class and society. Noor is a penniless Kashmiri boy who is hired by a wealthy begum as a stable keeper. Days pass by, and his brief encounters with the begum’s daughter, Firdaus, turn into something intense. When the begum learns of their relationship, she sends Noor away.
To think that the film is based on Charles Dickens’ internationally acclaimed novel Great Expectations is shocking. The filmmakers had a source material with incredible potential, and due to weak dialogue and poor direction, they did not make the most of it. On a budget of approximately $9 million, Fitoor brought in only $3.45 million globally.
‘Mohenjo Daro’ (2016)
Mohenjo Daro tells the story of farmer Sarman, who arrives in the historical city of Mohenjo Daro in search of employment. The city is ruled by a ruthless tyrant whose relationship with Sarman goes back a long way. However, their relationship turns sour when Sarman falls in love with the woman promised to the tyrant Maham’s son.
Ideally, period dramas give you the feeling of escapism. The viewer spends a couple of hours watching the movie and finds themselves transported to a time in history they wish they were living in. But that is not the case with this big-budget production. With Mohenjo Daro, director Ashutosh Gowariker aimed to bring the glory of the Indus Valley civilization to the silver screen using vivid color and grandiose sets. Despite delivering an impressive set design, Gowariker’s three years of research and scriptwriting failed to resonate with the audience. The movie only managed to gross $16.1 million against a budget of around $17.2 million.
‘Jagga Jasoos’ (2017)
An adventure-comedy written and directed by Anurag Basu, Jagga Jasoos gives off a whimsical vibe. Whether in its aesthetics or its music, the movie doesn’t quite meet the expectations set by its trailers and promotions. The story follows Ranbir Kapoor’s titular character, who is a teenager. Jagga’s adoptive father leaves him at a boarding school and goes missing, awakening Jagga’s detective skills, who, after growing up, goes in search of the man along with a journalist friend.
The premise is nothing extraordinary, but the narrative could have done more to make it more touching and thought-provoking. Instead, it turns out to be a half-baked story that spiraled into one of Bollywood’s biggest meltdowns. Jagga Jasoos grossed $13.5 million at the box office, with a budget estimated at $11.6-$20.3 million.
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