Year-ender: A look at India’s biggest box office flops of 2024

The year 2024 turned out to be a tough one for big-budget films in Indian cinema. While horror films and content-driven narratives captured the audience’s attention, several high-profile releases featuring megastars failed to make an impact at the box office. Here’s a closer look at some of the year’s biggest disappointments:

Indian 2

‘Indian 2,’ the much-awaited sequel to the 1996 blockbuster ‘Indian,’ released on July 12, 2024, amidst massive expectations. Kamal Haasan reprised his role as Senapathy, a vigilante fighting corruption. With its predecessor being an iconic film and India’s official entry to the Oscars, the sequel carried immense hype. However, despite its lavish production and Haasan’s magnetic screen presence, negative word of mouth proved fatal. The film barely managed to gross Rs 150 crore worldwide, falling far short of expectations. Its disappointing performance has cast doubt on the theatrical release of its completed third installment.

Maidaan

Ajay Devgn’s ‘Maidaan’ was touted as a potential blockbuster, telling the inspiring story of Syed Abdul Rahim, the coach who shaped Indian football. Released on April 11, 2024, the film coincided with Eid, a lucrative period for Indian cinema. Despite Devgn’s past successes like ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ and ‘Drishyam 2,’ the movie grossed only Rs 72 crore against a production budget of over Rs 200 crore. Frequent delays in its release and a clash with ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ contributed to its underwhelming performance.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ brought Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff together in a sci-fi action film. Despite its star-studded cast and a massive budget of Rs 350 crore, the film failed to generate excitement among audiences. Weak marketing and poor initial buzz translated into lackluster box office numbers. By the end of its theatrical run, the film had grossed just over Rs 100 crore globally, becoming one of the year’s most expensive flops.

Vettaiyan

Released on October 10, 2024, ‘Vettaiyan’ featured Rajinikanth alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, and Rana Daggubati. Following the massive success of ‘Jailer,’ expectations were sky-high for this Tamil action drama. While the film enjoyed a strong opening weekend, it failed to sustain momentum. With worldwide earnings of Rs 240 crore, it fell far short of the benchmarks set by Rajinikanth’s previous releases, leaving fans and trade analysts disappointed.

Kanguva

Kanguva

Suriya’s ‘Kanguva,’ directed by Siva, was one of the most ambitious projects of the year. The mystical action-drama saw Suriya in dual roles, but its convoluted storyline and poorly written characters alienated audiences. Despite industry expectations of a major hit, the film grossed less than Rs 100 crore worldwide. Its disastrous performance earned it the unfortunate distinction of being the greatest financial loss ever recorded in Indian cinema.

Jigra

Alia Bhatt’s ‘Jigra’ generated significant buzz prior to its release, but its execution fell short of expectations. The film grossed just Rs 30.69 crore, despite Alia’s critically acclaimed performance. Allegations of box office fraud further tarnished the film’s reputation, making it a cautionary tale for filmmakers.

Sarfira

Akshay Kumar delivered a commendable performance in ‘Sarfira,’ but the film struggled to find an audience. Poor marketing efforts and tough competition from the hit ‘Stree 2’ limited its earnings to a mere Rs 22.13 crore, rendering it another box office disaster of the year.

Yodha

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Based on the real-life hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, ‘Yodha’ starred Sidharth Malhotra, Raashii Khanna, and Disha Patani. While the premise held promise, the film failed to connect with audiences, leading to its underperformance at the box office.