As 2024 comes to a close, it’s clear that the year was a mix of good and bad for the Indian film industry. While stars like Allu Arjun and Prabhas gave big hits with Pushpa 2: The Rule and Kalki 2898 AD, some highly anticipated films with big budgets failed to do well at the box office. Also read: Sikandar Teaser Postponed: Salman Khan Film Reschedules After Manmohan Singh’s Demise
Many high-budget films featuring top superstars failed to impress audiences and ended up flopping at the box office. Here’s a look at some of the year’s biggest letdowns:
Indian 2
The much-awaited sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Indian turned out to be a major disappointment. Kamal Haasan returned as Senapathy, a vigilante fighting against corruption, but the sequel couldn’t live up to the expectations. Despite the massive hype, the film received mixed to negative reviews from audiences. With a production budget of ₹250 crore, it only managed to earn ₹148.33 crore
Kanguva
Suriya’s Kanguva, directed by Siva, was one of the year’s most ambitious and eagerly awaited films. With a star-studded cast, including Bobby Deol as the villain, it was promoted as the next Baahubali. However, the film failed to live up to expectations and performed poorly at the box office. Made on a staggering budget of ₹350 crore, it managed to collect only ₹106.25 crore worldwide.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff teamed up for the first time in the action-packed film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Despite its massive ₹350 crore budget and star power, the film struggled to draw audiences to theatres after its opening day. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, it ended its box office run with just ₹111.49 crore, making it one of the biggest flops of 2024.
Maidaan
Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan narrates the inspiring story of Syed Abdul Rahim, the legendary coach who transformed Indian football. Despite its potential to be a blockbuster, the film faced frequent release delays and clashed with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which hurt its performance. Made on a hefty budget of ₹250 crore, it managed to earn only ₹71 crore worldwide, making it a box office failure.
Lal Salaam
Directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, the sports action film Lal Salaam failed to make an impact at the box office, even with Rajinikanth’s extended cameo. Made on a budget of ₹80-90 crore, the film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, which hindered its performance. It earned only ₹17.46 crore at the Indian box office and ₹32.65 crore worldwide, making it a major disappointment.
Thangalaan
Vikram’s Thangalaan featured him in five distinct roles alongside a talented ensemble cast, including Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Daniel Caltagirone, Pasupathy, and Hari Krishnan. While the performances were appreciated, the film faced criticism for its historical inaccuracies, subpar visual effects, and weak writing. These issues affected its box office performance, with the film earning only ₹68 crore worldwide, falling short of its ₹100-150 crore budget.
Saindhav
Saindhav was a landmark film as it marked Venkatesh Daggubati’s 75th movie. Despite high expectations and a star-studded cast featuring Venkatesh, Arya, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film failed to impress audiences due to its weak script and direction. After a mixed to negative reception, its daily box office collections dropped below ₹1 crore within the first week. The film ended its theatrical run with just ₹18 crore worldwide, far below its ₹55 crore budget.
Double iSmart
The sequel to the hit film iSmart Shankar, Double iSmart, was highly anticipated before its release. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film featured Sanjay Dutt as the main antagonist and Ram Pothineni as the protagonist. However, it received negative reviews upon release and was almost out of theatres in the Telugu states within ten days. Despite blockbuster expectations, the film turned out to be a box office failure, earning only ₹19 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹90 crore.
Mr Bachchan
Ravi Teja’s Mr Bachchan was another major disappointment of the year. A remake of Ajay Devgn’s hit film Raid, it released on Independence Day, clashing with Double iSmart. The film received negative reviews from critics and failed to captivate audiences. Its box office collections began to decline after the second day, and it ultimately turned into a huge flop, earning just ₹13.5 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹70 crore.