Year-ender 2023: From Adipurush to Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan - major letdowns of Bollywood

The year 2023 witnessed some high notes when movies like Jawan, Pathaan, Gadar 2, and Animal took the box office by storm. It was, however, also a year of major letdowns where Prabhas starrer Adipurush, Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Kangana Ranaut's Tejas, and Akshay Kumar's film Mission Raniganj, among others, tanked at the box office. Despite a lavish budget and a star-studded cast, there were a few highly anticipated films that failed to strike a chord with the audience.

The year 2023 has brought us a rich cinematic landscape, with blockbuster hits such as Jawan, Pathaan, Gadar 2, and Animal, which have captivated audiences far and wide on the silver screen. However, not every film manages to live up to the massive expectations of the audience. Some Bollywood movies like Prabhas starrer Adipurush, Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, and Akshay Kumar's Mission Raniganj unfortunately fell flat at the box office this year, despite the hype and anticipation surrounding them. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at the list of the biggest Bollywood flops of 2023.

1. Adipurush

The much-anticipated film, which had generated a lot of buzz and excitement ahead of its release, turned out to be a major letdown. Regrettably, it stands as one of the biggest flops of the year 2023. The mythological drama Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon and helmed by director Om Raut, faced severe criticism, particularly for its dialogue. Additional cast members included Saif Ali Khan and Sunny Singh. Made with a hefty budget of Rs 450 crore, Adipurush managed to amass a domestic net total of Rs 343 crore, and a reported overseas net earning of Rs 50 crore. Combining these numbers, the film achieved a worldwide net total of approximately Rs 393 crore. Nonetheless, what stands out is the alarming fact that the movie suffered a massive net loss of Rs 57 crore, highlighting a significant financial setback despite its impressive global earnings.

2. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan

Actor Salman Khan's film, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, had a lackluster performance at the box office this year. Despite being released on April 21, 2023, coinciding with Eid, the movie failed to make a significant profit, earning only Rs 184.6 crore during its theatrical run. The star-studded cast, including Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill, Venkatesh Daggubati, Palak Tiwari, and Raghav Juyal, couldn't save the film from disappointing results. With a production and marketing budget of approximately Rs 125 crore (not including Salman's salary), Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan fell short of commercial expectations and received mixed reviews from critics. Nonetheless, the movie managed to make over Rs 184.6 crore globally, proving its modest success on an international scale.

3. Ganapath: A Hero is Born

Ganapath: A Hero Is Born, the sci-fi actioner starring Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, turned out to be another disappointment of 2023. Despite being hyped as a never-seen-before sci-fi thriller helmed by Vikas Bahl, the film failed to attract audiences to the theaters. With a whopping budget of Rs 200 crore, it was expected to make a splash at the box office but instead only managed to generate a meager Rs 18 crore globally. This significant financial investment did not yield the anticipated returns, making it one of the year's biggest underperformers. The unexpected outcome highlights the challenges faced by the film, despite its high budget and star-studded cast.

4. Tejas

Kangana Ranaut has failed to deliver a successful film in theaters for the past few years, and her most recent endeavor Tejas has proven to be another disappointment for the actor. The film was being released with minimal promotion and has failed to generate enough positive buzz among viewers. As a result, the aerial action movie has only managed to earn a mere Rs 8.05 crore at the global box office. Helmed by Sarvesh Mewara and bankrolled by Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of RSVP Movies, Tejas was made on a reported budget of Rs 60 crore.

5. Shehzada

Shehzada, the Hindi remake of the 2020 Telugu blockbuster, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo starring Allu Arjun, received a disappointing response at the box office. Despite the immense hype and extensive promotional efforts, the film starring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon only managed to accumulate a total of Rs 47.43 crore worldwide. Directed by Rohit Dhawan and produced by Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, T-Series, and Brat Films, this masala entertainer was made with a reported budget of Rs 50 crore. In addition to the lead actors, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, and Sachin Khedekar also star in the film.

6. Mission Raniganj

Despite receiving positive reviews, Mission Raniganj, a rescue drama set in the backdrop of the Raniganj Coalfields collapse of 1989 in West Bengal, did not fare well at the box office, only earning Rs 46 crore worldwide. The film, starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra, showcased the heroic efforts of Jaswant Singh Gill, an engineer from IIT Dhanbad, who saved 65 miners trapped in the Raniganj Coalfields. Tinu Suresh Desai directed this biographical survival thriller film, while it was produced by Pooja Entertainment. The film was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 55 crore.

7. Selfiee

The movie Selfiee, featuring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi, released on February 24, 2023, turned out to be a box office disaster. Despite having a reported budget of Rs 100 crore, the film only managed to earn Rs 24.6 crore worldwide. Prior to the release of Selfiee, there were high expectations due to the success of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan, which hit the theatres on January 25. Unfortunately, Akshay Kumar's star-studded movie failed to replicate the same level of success. In fact, it was another disappointment following a string of unsuccessful films. Despite extensive promotions and even a remake of the popular 90s Main Khiladi song, Selfiee couldn't attract audiences and performed poorly at the box office. The film was a Hindi remake of the Malayalam movie Driving Licence.

8. Kuttey

Last but not least, Kuttey is another film on the list of the biggest Bollywood flops of 2023. Released on January 29, 2023, the film features a remarkable cast including Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Radhika Madan, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Kumud Mishra. Unfortunately, it faced significant challenges on the big screen, managing to accumulate a mere Rs 8.47 crore in contrast to its Rs 50 crore budget. This outcome from a financial perspective clearly indicates that it struggled to cover its production costs, despite the presence of a talented and widely recognized cast.