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The crash of the massively hyped Toxic has once and for all, junked the myth that pan-Indian South films are the messiahs for Hindi cinema box-office. After a smash opening of Rs. 53.50 crore on opening day, it plunged after a 5-day weekend to a collection of Rs. 3.25 crore on Day 6. There were two holidays in release week, Eid on Wednesday (when it released) and Raksha Bandhan on Friday. And so, the film, said to be budgeted at Rs. 500 million, is nothing less than a catastrophe.
(Interestingly, the first Hindi film to cross Rs. 50 crore on opening day in Diwali 2018 was Thugs of Hindostan, another colossal disaster that co-starred Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan and had the word ‘Yash’ in common with Toxic—a name that marked the hero of that film and the banner’s name—Yash Raj Films. ‘Yash’ of course, means ‘Victory’!
The Raja Saab, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Game Changer, Hari Hara Veera Mallu and Peddi are among the South’s biggest losers. But let us concentrate on Hindi Cinema.
So, what forms a disaster as opposite to a mere flop? It is a film that fails to recover even 50 percent of its production and marketing budget. It also gets strongly negative word-of-mouth and sees empty houses as early as the first Sunday sometimes. Greater hype increases the possibility of a disaster along with the enhanced budgets.
So, over the decades, Hindi cinema’s monumental disasters have included films as varied as Guru Dutt’s Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Raj Kapoor’s 1970 Mera Naam Joker (both of which became cult movies and recovered budgets and even made some profits later). In the 1980s, the biggest disaster was Razia Sultan (1983), the Dharmendra-Hema Malini historical, followed in degree by another film in which they featured—The Burning Train (1982). In the 1990s, the biggest bomb was Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja in 1993.
But as said before, the scale gets bigger, the disasters increase as well. Let us look at the most catastrophic films in the millennium.
Adipurush (2023)
This rework of the epic Ramayan featured Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon and was directed in Hindi and Telugu by Om Raut, who had helmed the 2020 whopper, Tanhaji—The Unsung Warrior. Reportedly made on a budget of over Rs. 500 crore, the film collected just Rs. 135 crore in Hindi and even less in Telugu. Is this badly scripted and presented film marking a warning for the new Ramayana on the way in terms of spectacle being prioritized over content? Only time will tell!
Aiyaary (2018)
A masterpiece of a patriotic thriller, the Neeraj Pandey directed film was an experiment in narrative style by the director, who employed the same method to massive success in his espionage series, Special Ops in 2020. However, this Rs. 60 crore film could not amass even Rs, 20 crore.
Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan (2024)
Mounted on a reported budget of Rs. 350 crore, the film managed a dismal collection of Rs. 59 cr. despite having a ‘hit’ title and the combination of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. It was directed by no less than Ali Abbas Zafar of Sultanand Tiger Zinda Hai fame.
Batwara 1947 (2026)
This Aamir Khan production will be considered Sunny Deol’s career-biggest fiasco. Made on a budget of Rs. 120 crore, it is likely to end plus-minus Rs. 40 crore. Interestingly, Khan has produced a smaller but box-office-wise disastrous Ek Din, which made a paltry Rs. 4 crore on a budget of Rs. 25 crore as well.
Blue (2009)
A four-star rating for a special preview days before its release was suspicious enough. This Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif-Sanjay Dutt Diwali 2009 release was a disaster from the word ‘Go.’ An underwater actioner as claimed, it was budgeted at Rs. 80 crore, with a net collection of Rs. 38 crore. At that time, it was supposed to be India’s costliest film.
Bombay Velvet (2015)
This film is considered the biggest joke in our movies and remains a benchmark even among disasters in Hindi cinema. Featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, the film was helmed by self-styled art film maestro Anurag Kashyap attempting mainstream cinema, which is a bit like a school dropout trying for a Master’s degree. Made on a budget of Rs. 118 crore, it netted Rs. 22 crore.
Fitoor (2016)
The corresponding figures for this Abhishek Kapoor directorial featuring Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif were Rs. 71 crore and Rs. 18 crore. A salvaging point was Amit Trivedi’s career-best score to date, but that never saved the film, proving my permanent conviction that music alone never makes a movie work.
Ganapath (2023)
Said to be mounted on a cost of Rs. 200 crore, its Indian earnings were less than Rs. 10 crore! Amitabh Bachchan toplined the film featuring the hit Heropanti pair of Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon. The director was Vikas Bahl, known for Queen¸ who saved face with Shaitaan in 2024.
Kites (2010)
In a bad year for Hrithik Roshan, his home production pipped his Guzaarish to the post of the year’s biggest flop. Directed by Murder fame Anurag Basu, it did a business of Rs. 48 crore against a budget of Rs. 82 crore. A lethal trivia: Hrithik sang solos in both films.
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)
Termed a mega-calamity, this Aamir Khan adaptation of Forrest Gump, was a disaster extraordinaire. Filmed on a colossal cost of Rs. 250 crore, its earnings were a shockingly low Rs. 60 crore.
To be concluded…
