The years 2023, 2024 and 2025 exposed a hard truth about Indian cinema — star power alone no longer guarantees a hit. Some of Bollywood’s biggest names attached to some of the most expensive productions in Indian film history walked away with massive box office losses, critical disappointment and genuine questions about where their careers go next. This is a data-driven look at the biggest Bollywood box office flops 2024 2025 — with real verified collection numbers, confirmed budgets, estimated losses and an honest analysis of what went wrong for each star.
No fabricated gossip. No unnamed sources. Every number in this article is sourced from Koimoi, Bollywood Hungama, Business Standard, Film Companion and India.com. All figures are approximate estimates, as is standard in Indian box office reporting.
For context on what was working during the same period, see our full guide to Pushpa 2 vs Salaar 2 — the pan-India franchises that were printing money while Bollywood was struggling — and our South Indian blockbusters guide for the full picture of what Indian audiences were choosing instead.
📊 Why 2024 Was Bollywood’s Toughest Year in Recent Memory
According to Koimoi’s annual Bollywood box office report, 2024 saw a decline of approximately ₹1,800 crore in total Bollywood collections compared to 2023 — despite Stree 2 becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. The report found that more films flopped than hit in 2024, and the failures were concentrated among the biggest-budget, biggest-star productions.
The key reason, identified consistently across multiple industry analyses, was straightforward: audiences stopped paying to see stars and started paying to see stories. Films with compelling narratives — Stree 2, Munjya, Laapataa Ladies — succeeded regardless of star power. Films that relied on franchise names, action spectacle and marquee casting without strong scripts — Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Maidaan, Jigra — failed regardless of the talent involved.
2025 continued the pattern, with Salman Khan’s Sikandar, Tiger Shroff’s Baaghi 4 and several other high-profile releases joining the flop list.
📋 Biggest Bollywood Box Office Flops 2024 2025: Quick Reference
| Film | Star(s) | Year | Budget (Est.) | India Collection | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff | 2024 | ₹350 Cr | ₹59–65 Cr | Disaster |
| Maidaan | Ajay Devgn | 2024 | ₹250 Cr | ₹71 Cr WW | Disaster |
| Sarfira | Akshay Kumar | 2024 | ₹85 Cr | ~₹19 Cr | Flop |
| Khel Khel Mein | Akshay Kumar | 2024 | ₹100 Cr | ~₹42 Cr | Flop |
| Jigra | Alia Bhatt | 2024 | ~₹100 Cr | ₹30.69 Cr | Flop |
| Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan | Salman Khan | 2023 | ₹100 Cr | ~₹80 Cr | Flop |
| Adipurush | Prabhas | 2023 | ₹500–600 Cr | ₹393 Cr WW | Disaster |
| Sikandar | Salman Khan | 2025 | ₹200–250 Cr | ~₹100 Cr India | Disaster |
| Baaghi 4 | Tiger Shroff | 2025 | ~₹100–150 Cr | Underperformed | Flop |
| Game Changer | Ram Charan | 2025 | ₹400–450 Cr | ₹186 Cr WW | Disaster |
| Emergency | Kangana Ranaut | 2025 | ₹60 Cr | ₹23.81 Cr WW | Disaster |
Note: All figures are estimates from Koimoi, Bollywood Hungama, Business Standard and News Analysis India. Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. India figures refer to India net unless otherwise stated.
1. Akshay Kumar — ₹535 Crore Lost in a Single Year
The Scale of the Problem
No Bollywood story from 2023–2025 is more dramatic or more data-backed than Akshay Kumar’s box office collapse in 2024. According to a detailed report by India.com, his three 2024 releases — Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Sarfira, and Khel Khel Mein — had a combined investment of approximately ₹535 crore but earned a combined India net of only approximately ₹130.62 crore — recovering just 24.4% of the total investment.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024) — The Biggest Bollywood Disaster of the Year
- Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
- Cast: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manushi Chhillar
- Budget: ₹350 crore (estimated)
- India Net Collection: ₹59–65 crore
- Worldwide Collection: ₹102–111 crore
- Estimated Loss: ~₹250–280 crore
- IMDb Rating: 3.7/10
- Verdict: Disaster
Headlined by two of Bollywood’s biggest action stars, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM) was positioned as the definitive Bollywood action spectacle of 2024 — an Eid release with a massive budget, global ambitions and the rare combination of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the same film. The result was the biggest Bollywood financial disaster of 2024.
According to Business Standard, the film earned only ₹111.49 crore against its ₹350 crore budget — resulting in an estimated loss of ₹250 crore or more. Koimoi reported that the combined actor fees for Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff alone were approximately ₹135 crore — 125% higher than the entire box office earnings of the film.
What went wrong? According to a detailed post-mortem by Film Companion, multiple factors contributed. The promotional campaign failed to create genuine audience excitement. The Eid release date was a strategic miscalculation — Eid releases historically work for Khan films, and BMCM was not a Khan vehicle. The film’s Day 1 opening of ₹16 crore was described as “historically catastrophic for an Eid release.” The screenplay, VFX quality and character writing received almost universally negative reviews — the IMDb audience score of 3.7/10 reflects a film that genuinely disappointed audiences who gave it a chance.
Sarfira and Khel Khel Mein (2024) — The Pattern Continues
- Sarfira: Budget ~₹85 crore. India net ~₹19 crore. Verdict: Flop
- Khel Khel Mein: Budget ~₹100 crore. India net ~₹42 crore. Verdict: Flop
Sarfira — an official Hindi remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru — received strong critical praise but failed to connect commercially, earning approximately ₹19 crore against an ₹85 crore budget. Khel Khel Mein, released on Independence Day weekend, had the additional misfortune of clashing directly with Stree 2 — one of Bollywood’s biggest hits of 2024 — and was completely overshadowed.
Taken together, 2024 represented Akshay Kumar’s worst commercial year in his three-decade career. The actor, who was once considered the most bankable star in Bollywood, found himself in a genuine crisis of audience trust — a trust that takes years to rebuild.
2. Tiger Shroff — Three Consecutive Flops and a Career Reset
- Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024): ₹111 Cr WW vs ₹350 Cr budget — Disaster
- Ganapath (2023): Approximately ₹8–9 Cr India net — Disaster
- Baaghi 4 (2025): Underperformed — Flop
Tiger Shroff’s career arc in 2023–2025 is one of the most striking in recent Bollywood history. The actor who built his entire brand on action choreography and physical fitness found that audiences increasingly wanted more than visually impressive stunt sequences — they wanted character, story and emotional investment.
According to Koimoi, BMCM represented Tiger Shroff’s third consecutive box office failure — a streak that damaged his reputation as a reliable commercial draw. Ganapath (2023) had been a disaster before it, and Baaghi 4 (2025) continued the pattern.
What went wrong? The pattern across all three films is the same: the scripts do not support the spectacle. Tiger Shroff’s physical talent is genuine and impressive — but audiences in 2024 and 2025 repeatedly demonstrated they would not pay for action without story. Every industry analyst covering his flops reached the same conclusion: he needs a completely different kind of script — one with emotional depth and character complexity — to reset his commercial trajectory. Outlook India’s Year-Ender 2025 listed Baaghi 4 among the top five biggest Bollywood flops of the year.
3. Salman Khan — Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023) and Sikandar (2025)
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023)
- Budget: ₹100 crore (estimated)
- India Net: ~₹80 crore
- Verdict: Flop
Salman Khan’s 2023 Eid release was widely anticipated given the commercial guarantee his name has historically represented. The film — a masala entertainer with a large ensemble cast — failed to match audience expectations and was declared a flop, becoming one of the most-discussed entries on Outlook India’s biggest Bollywood flops of 2023 list. Critics pointed to a weak, formulaic script that leaned entirely on Salman’s star persona without offering anything new.
Sikandar (2025)
- Director: AR Murugadoss
- Budget: ₹200–250 crore (estimated)
- India Collection: ~₹100 crore
- Estimated Loss: Major
- Verdict: Disaster
According to News Analysis India, Sikandar — made with a budget of ₹200–250 crore — collected only approximately ₹100 crore in India, causing major losses for producer Sajid Nadiadwala. The film was listed among the top five biggest Bollywood flops of 2025 by Outlook India.
What went wrong? The same pattern identified across 2024 Bollywood failures repeated itself in 2025: big star + big budget + weak narrative = audience rejection. Salman Khan’s brand still guarantees a strong opening weekend — but audiences in 2024 and 2025 stopped giving films the benefit of the doubt based on star power alone, and word of mouth turned negative quickly for both releases.
4. Prabhas — Adipurush (2023) and a Pattern of Post-Baahubali Disappointments
Adipurush (2023)
- Director: Om Raut
- Cast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan
- Budget: ₹500–600 crore (estimated)
- Worldwide Collection: ₹393 crore
- Verdict: Disaster
Adipurush — a retelling of the Ramayana — was one of the most anticipated Indian films of 2023 and became one of the most discussed disappointments in Indian cinema history. Made on a reported budget of ₹500–600 crore, it earned ₹393 crore worldwide — a significant shortfall that resulted in major losses. The film was pilloried for its VFX quality, which critics described as inferior to video games, and its dialogue — which became a source of widespread mockery on social media and in mainstream media.
According to Outlook India, Adipurush topped the list of the biggest Bollywood box office flops of 2023. The film carried enormous expectation given Prabhas’s post-Baahubali status — and the gap between that expectation and the delivered product created a backlash that was unusually intense even by Indian social media standards.
Context: Prabhas had already faced commercial disappointments with Saaho (2019) and Radhe Shyam (2022) before Adipurush. However, Kalki 2898 AD (2024, ₹1,052 crore worldwide) and Salaar (2023, ₹650 crore worldwide) demonstrated that his commercial viability remains strong when the content matches the scale — making Adipurush a story about execution failure rather than a permanent star decline. We cover this in depth in our Pushpa 2 vs Salaar 2 comparison.
5. Ajay Devgn — Maidaan (2024)
- Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
- Cast: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Rudranil Ghosh
- Budget: ₹250 crore (estimated)
- Worldwide Collection: ₹71 crore
- Estimated Loss: Severe
- Verdict: Disaster
Maidaan is a particularly painful entry on this list because, unlike most of the films here, it received genuinely positive reviews. The biographical sports drama about Indian football coach Syed Abdul Rahim was praised for Ajay Devgn’s committed performance and its emotional storytelling. Yet it earned only ₹71 crore worldwide against a ₹250 crore budget — making it one of the most significant commercial disasters of 2024.
What went wrong? According to Business Standard, Maidaan suffered primarily from a scheduling collision with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan — both released over the Eid 2024 weekend, splitting screen availability and audience attention in a way that damaged both films. Maidaan’s subject matter — Indian football, a sport with limited mass cinema appeal — also limited its potential audience significantly. The advance booking for both films combined was reportedly below ₹30 crore — catastrophically low for Eid releases.
6. Alia Bhatt — Jigra (2024)
- Director: Vasan Bala
- Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina
- Budget: ~₹100 crore (estimated)
- India Net Collection: ₹30.69 crore
- Verdict: Flop
Jigra was positioned as Alia Bhatt’s return to solo-heroine action territory following the success of Gangubai Kathiawadi. According to Business Standard, the film grossed ₹30.69 crore despite generating significant pre-release buzz, calling it “a cautionary tale for filmmakers.” The film generated controversy when its producers claimed irregularities in box office reporting — claims that were not substantiated by any independent body.
What went wrong? The film’s core emotional premise — a sister’s desperate mission to rescue her brother from a foreign prison — was compelling, but the execution received mixed audience reviews. The film released in a crowded marketplace and was unable to generate the word-of-mouth momentum needed to sustain theatrical collections beyond the opening weekend.
7. Ram Charan — Game Changer (2025)
- Director: Shankar
- Cast: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, S.J. Suryah
- Budget: ₹400–450 crore (estimated)
- Worldwide Collection: ₹186 crore
- Estimated Loss: Catastrophic
- Verdict: Disaster
Game Changer was one of the most anticipated South Indian films of 2025 — a collaboration between RRR star Ram Charan and legendary director Shankar (who directed 2.0, Enthiran and Indian). The result was a catastrophic disappointment. According to News Analysis India, the film earned ₹186 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹400–450 crore — resulting in losses estimated at over ₹200 crore.
What went wrong? The combination of Shankar’s notoriously bloated production schedule — the film was in development for years — and a political drama narrative that failed to connect with mass audiences created a perfect storm. Game Changer is widely seen as one of the biggest commercial mismatches between star-director prestige and actual audience response in recent Indian cinema history.
8. Kangana Ranaut — Emergency (2025)
- Director: Kangana Ranaut
- Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade
- Budget: ₹60 crore (estimated)
- Worldwide Collection: ₹23.81 crore
- Estimated Loss: Major
- Verdict: Disaster
Emergency — a biographical drama about former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, written and directed by Kangana Ranaut — earned ₹23.81 crore worldwide against a ₹60 crore budget. According to News Analysis India, it was among 2025’s most notable box office failures. The film had a troubled production and release history, including delays and controversy around its political subject matter.
🔍 What These Flops Have in Common: The Real Reasons
Looking across all the films on this list, a clear pattern emerges. These are not individual failures — they are symptoms of a structural shift in how Indian audiences engage with cinema.
1. Script Quality Now Matters More Than Star Names
The 2023–2025 period definitively ended the era where a major star’s name on a poster was sufficient to drive audience footfall. Stree 2, Munjya, Laapataa Ladies and Article 370 all succeeded in 2024 because they offered compelling stories — not because of star power. Films that invested in massive stars but neglected their scripts consistently failed, regardless of production value.
2. Actor Fees Became Unsustainable
The most striking data point from the BMCM disaster is that Akshay Kumar’s and Tiger Shroff’s combined fees were reportedly 125% higher than the film’s entire box office earnings. This illustrates a structural problem the industry is now correcting — star fees had grown to levels that made profitability mathematically near-impossible unless the film became a genuine blockbuster.
3. OTT Competition Changed Audience Expectations
Indian audiences who subscribe to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and JioHotstar — and access international-quality content from Korea, the US and UK — have significantly raised their expectations for narrative quality. Films that might have been accepted as adequate entertainment five years ago are now measured against a much higher standard.
4. Franchise Fatigue Is Real
Multiple entries on this list — Baaghi 4, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan — suffered from audience fatigue with formulaic, repetitive content. The marketplace is sending a clear message: audiences want new stories, new characters and new ideas, not familiar stars in familiar situations with bigger budgets.
🔄 Can These Stars Bounce Back? Historical Evidence Says Yes
It is important to note that a run of box office failures does not permanently define a career. Indian cinema history is full of spectacular comebacks:
- Hrithik Roshan followed several disappointments with War (₹475 Cr), Super 30 and Fighter (₹206 Cr)
- Prabhas himself followed Saaho and Radhe Shyam disappointments with Salaar (₹650 Cr) and Kalki 2898 AD (₹1,052 Cr)
- Akshay Kumar has the largest filmography of any active Bollywood star — his recovery will depend entirely on the quality of scripts he chooses going forward
- Tiger Shroff needs one genuinely well-written film to reset — his physical talent is undeniable and will always be an asset with the right material
The common thread in every comeback story is the same: the actor chose a better script. In a marketplace that now rewards content above everything else, that is the only path back.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest Bollywood box office flop of 2024?
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff) is the biggest Bollywood financial disaster of 2024. Made on a budget of approximately ₹350 crore, it earned only ₹59–65 crore net in India and approximately ₹102–111 crore worldwide — resulting in an estimated loss of ₹250–280 crore according to Koimoi and Business Standard.
How much money did Akshay Kumar lose at the box office in 2024?
According to a detailed report by India.com, Akshay Kumar’s three 2024 films — Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Sarfira and Khel Khel Mein — had a combined investment of approximately ₹535 crore but earned combined India collections of approximately ₹130.62 crore — recovering only 24.4% of the total invested.
Why did Bade Miyan Chote Miyan fail?
According to Film Companion’s post-mortem analysis, BMCM failed due to a combination of factors: a weak promotional campaign that did not generate audience excitement, a strategic scheduling mistake (releasing on Eid when the audience historically expects Khan films), poor script and screenplay quality, and VFX that received widespread criticism. The film’s IMDb audience rating of 3.7/10 reflects genuine audience disappointment.
Is Tiger Shroff’s career over after his flops?
No. Career flop streaks in Bollywood are common and recoverable. Tiger Shroff’s physical talent and fanbase remain genuine assets. The consistent industry analysis is that he needs better scripts — films with emotional depth and character complexity, not just action sequences. One well-written film could reset his commercial trajectory significantly.
What films succeeded while Bollywood was struggling in 2024?
Stree 2 (₹627 Cr India net — highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024), Pushpa 2: The Rule (₹1,242 Cr India net — all-time record), Kalki 2898 AD (₹1,052 Cr worldwide), Munjya, Laapataa Ladies and Article 370 all succeeded in 2024. The common factor was compelling storytelling. See our full analysis in the Pushpa 2 vs Salaar 2 guide and the South Indian blockbusters guide.
🎬 More From Popcorn Review
- 🔥 Pushpa 2 vs Salaar 2: Real Box Office Data, Star Comparison & 2026 Predictions — While Bollywood was losing money, Pushpa 2 was earning ₹1,742 crore. A full data-driven breakdown of the pan-India franchises dominating Indian cinema.
- 💣 Dhurandhar Review: Ranveer Singh’s ₹1,354 Crore Spy Thriller — The one Bollywood film that defied the 2025 flop trend — breaking 25 box office records and proving that a well-made Bollywood film can still dominate globally.
- 🎬 Top South Indian Blockbusters That Conquered the Pan-India Box Office — The complete story of how South Indian cinema filled the vacuum that Bollywood’s flop streak created — from Baahubali to Pushpa 2 to Kalki 2898 AD.
- 📺 Best K-Dramas 2026: Top 15 Korean Dramas on Netflix & Disney+ — The international content that Indian audiences turned to while Bollywood was struggling — and why Korean storytelling quality became the new benchmark.
- 🌊 Avatar: Fire and Ash — $1.484 Billion Box Office & Ending Explained — How Hollywood’s biggest franchise handled big budgets vs box office expectations in 2025.
- 🎌 15 Best Bollywood Films Based on True Stories — The kind of story-first Bollywood filmmaking that succeeds even in a difficult market — and the films that proved it.
📚 Sources & References
- Koimoi — Bollywood Box Office Report 2024: ₹1,800 Crore Decline
- Koimoi — BMCM: Actor Fees 125% Higher Than Total Earnings
- India.com — Akshay Kumar’s 3 Films Recovered Only 24.4% of ₹535 Crore Investment
- Film Companion — What Went Wrong With Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
- Business Standard — Big Budget Indian Films That Failed at the Box Office in 2024
- Business Standard — Bollywood Hits and Misses of 2024
- News Analysis India — 2025’s Biggest Box Office Flops
- Outlook India — Biggest Bollywood Flops of 2023
- Outlook India — Top 5 Bollywood Box Office Flops of 2025
- Bollywood Hungama — Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Box Office Collection
Last Updated: March 14, 2026. All box office figures are estimates from verified trade sources including Koimoi, Bollywood Hungama, Business Standard and Film Companion. Numbers are approximate and based on industry estimates — exact figures are not publicly disclosed by studios. All verdicts reflect trade consensus, not editorial opinion.
Content writer at Popcorn Review, specializing in movie reviews, box office insights, and film analysis. Passionate about bringing cinema stories to life.
