From 'Tejas' to 'Shehzada': 6 Bollywood box office disasters from 2023

In the fast-paced world of Bollywood, the year 2023 stood as a testament to monumental highs and staggering lows at the box office. Amidst the glitz and glamour, where colossal hits like Jawan, Animal, and Pathaan surged to record-breaking success, a slew of highly anticipated films, despite boasting A-list star power, faced an unexpected downfall.

Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, and Kartik Aaryan, prominent names in the industry, encountered setbacks as their much-hyped films failed to strike a chord with audiences, turning into significant box office disappointments. Here's a closer look at some of the anticipated films that struggled to resonate with viewers in 2023, as chronicled by Hindustan Times:

Tejas

Directed by Sarvesh Mewara, placed Kangana Ranaut in the role of an Indian Air Force pilot. Despite the movie's promising narrative about Tejas Gill's audacious rescue mission, it only managed to amass a meagre collection of INR62 million nett in India.

Ganapath

Helmed by Vikas Bahl and featuring Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon in a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting, fell short of expectations, garnering just INR130 million nett in India. The film's futuristic theme failed to resonate with the audience as anticipated.

The Vaccine War

Vivek Agnihotri's offering, produced by Pallavi Joshi and I Am Buddha, dealt with a relevant theme but couldn't make a substantial mark at the Indian box office, earning a modest INR103.3 crore nett despite its multilingual release in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Chandramukhi 2

Starring Kangana and Raghava Lawrence, the film attempted to follow the success of its predecessor, but the film garnered only INR392.1 million nett across multiple languages in India. The sequel couldn't replicate the triumph of the original featuring Rajinikanth and Jyothika.

Selfiee

The Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam film Driving Licence, led by Akshay Kumar and directed by Raj Mehta, struggled immensely, gathering a mere INR170.3 million nett during its opening weekend. Despite an ensemble cast that included Emraan Hashmi and Diana Penty, the film failed to leave a lasting impression.

Shehzada

The Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon starrer, a Hindi remake of Allu Arjun's film directed by Rohit Dhawan, witnessed a lukewarm reception with INR320 million nett. Despite a significant budget of INR850 million and star power, the film couldn't captivate the audience as expected. The film also starred Paresh Rawal, Ronit Roy, Sunny Hinduja and Manisha Koirala, and marked Kriti and Kartik's second collaboration after Luka Chuppi.

These films, with their potential and stellar casts, faced an uphill battle at the box office, reflecting a series of miscalculations and lost opportunities in the Bollywood landscape of 2023.

Have something to add? Share it in the comments