In a year marked by record-breaking successes like “Jawan,” “Animal,” and “Pathaan,” Bollywood also witnessed a few disappointments that impacted A-list stars. Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, and Kartik Aaryan, despite their stardom, faced setbacks with movies that fell short of expectations. Here’s a glance at some of the highly-anticipated films, ranging from big-budget productions to more modest ventures, that incurred losses for Bollywood studios and independent distributors in 2023.
Tejas: Kangana Ranaut’s portrayal of an Indian Air Force pilot in this film, directed by Sarvesh Mewara, did not meet anticipated success. Despite its October release, it only managed to collect ₹6.2 crore nett in India.
Ganapath: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon’s post-apocalyptic dystopian action film struggled at the box office, gathering ₹13 crore nett in India. The film, directed by Vikas Bahl, reportedly had a budget of ₹200 crore.
The Vaccine War: Helmed by Vivek Agnihotri, this film faced a poor run in India, generating only ₹10.33 crore nett at the domestic box office. The movie, released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, featured Nana Patekar, Sapthami Gowda, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, and Anupam Kher.
Chandramukhi 2: Starring Kangana Ranaut and Raghava Lawrence, the film collected ₹39.21 crore nett in India across languages. It served as the sequel to the blockbuster Tamil horror comedy “Chandramukhi.”
Selfiee: Akshay Kumar’s Hindi remake of the Malayalam film “Driving Licence” (2019) experienced a poor first weekend, collecting ₹17.03 crore nett in India. The film, directed by Raj Mehta, was reportedly made with a ₹100 crore budget.
Shehzada:Kartik Aaryan’s film, a Hindi remake of Allu Arjun’s “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo” (2020), failed at the box office, collecting ₹32 crore nett in India. The film, directed by Rohit Dhawan, featured Kriti Sanon and was made on a budget of ₹85 crore.
Despite these setbacks, Bollywood continues to strive for success, with highs and lows marking the cinematic journey of 2023.