In today’s weekend blog, I am back with Bollywood. Every year hundreds of movies are released in India, some of them run very successfully and earn huge profits, some of them are able to recover their cost of production/marketing, and the rest of them flop. But when a film of a very big banner with a huge budget and a famous actor/star acting in it, fails at the box office then the market value of everybody associated with the film is affected. There are also times when a Bollywood film with no star power does wonders, and -there are times when the best directors, producers, actors, the sky-high budget can not save a film from tanking. Here are some expensive Bollywood flop films of recent times:
1 Shaandaar- Budget Rs 69 Cr 2015
Contrary to its name, there was nothing grand about this film’s box office earnings. It was the most anticipated films of 2015 given that Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were in together. However, the popular faces, super hit songs could not make up for the lack of decent script. The film made a gross collection of Rs 39.48 Cr only.
2 Kites- Budget Rs 50 Cr 2010
With Kites noted producer/director wanted to make a mark internationally. However, not everything always goes as planned. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film had a good budget, was shot in an,, international location, fronted by actors like Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, and Kangana Ranaut. But a weak script made it flop
3 Bombay Velvet- Budget Rs 120 Cr 2015
Its failure shocked the entire film industry. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Karan Johar. The film tried its best to copy some of that 1940s American world. But every scene showcased in the film drips with effort. The film made a gross collection of Rs 34 Cr worldwide, and it is considered one of the biggest flops of Bollywood.
4 Saawariya- Budget Rs 40 Cr 2007
Expectations of film used to run a notch higher when Sanjay Leela Bhansali was at the helm. It marked the debut of Ranbir Kapoor )son of Rishi Kapoor) and Sonam Kapoor (daughter of Anil Kapoor). People loved their performances, but could not get on board with a cinematic theme and Salman Khan’s appearance. The film made a gross of Rs 18.48 Cr.
5 Ra.One- Budget Rs 130 Cr 2011
Shah Rukh’s dream project Ra.One was Bollywood’s full-fledged attempt to experiment with VFX. The marketing budget was huge for the film as well. Despite all the effort, Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead, and Akon’s music, the film tanked. It collected around Rs 97 Cr in India.
6 Kalank- Budget Rs 150 Cr 2019
Massive sets, mega-star ensemble, costumes, it had everything, including a slow as snails script. It raked a collection of Rs 20 Cr on opening day. Starring Madhuri Dixit, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, and Aditya Roy Kapoor, the film collected Rs 78 Cr in India.
7 Tubelight- Budget Rs 135 Cr 2017
Prior to this film’s release, Salman Khan films were doing wonders at the box office, but this film was an exception. The film was an attempt just like Bajrangi Bhaijaan to touch the emotional side of the viewers, but the film was a complete disaster at the box office.
8 Zero- Budget Rs 200Cr 2018
Not every Shah Rukh Khan film can be a hero, and Zero was a great example. Shah Rukh Khan played a double role, and in one role he played a dwarf. Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma were the leading ladies. For the longest time, the film even struggled to cross Rs 100 Cr in the domestic market, and managed to rake in a total of Rs 178 Cr worldwide.
So these were the biggest flop film coming from reputed production houses and a very popular star cast.
Waiting for your views on this blog
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
1st April 2022