Is Bollywood’s old guard facing audience fatigue?

For several established superstars, however, the year unfolded very differently. Salman Khan’s Sikander was rejected outright, on grounds of ‘weak narrative and uninspired performances.’ It was in fact one of his poorest outings in nearly two decades. Akshay Kumar’s Sky Force and Housefull 5 struggled to generate excitement despite claims of healthy collections. Ajay Devgn’s sequel-heavy slate – Raid 2, Son of Sardaar 2 and De De Pyaar De 2 – were middling rather than breakout successes. Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 emerged as one of the year’s most unexpected failures.

The pattern points to a growing issue: audience fatigue driven by overexposure.

Pause; reflect; reset

Film writer Yasser Usman says, “Their superstar aura was forged in a different era. Recent underperformances make one thing clear – stardom alone is no longer enough. It doesn’t mean they’re finished, but it does demand a reset. Overexposure, especially through frequent releases by Akshay, Ajay and Salman, including Salman’s constant television presence, hurts more than it helps. Reinvention should take precedence over dominance. But legacy fame still commands a strong opening every time. A reinvention like Shah Rukh Khan’s, and now Ranveer’s, might just work.”

Trade analyst Girish Venkatesh seconds the view that overfamiliarity breeds disinterest. “Stars were once events. Now they’re everywhere – cinemas, television, streaming, advertising. That kind of saturation weakens anticipation,” he explains. According to him, repeated sequels, familiar formulas and nonstop media presence make performances feel interchangeable, reducing the sense of occasion around each release.

“Salman’s sustained visibility through television and public life has kept him constantly in view, and that familiarity has reduced the novelty of his screen persona. Akshay Kumar’s prodigious output and presence across films and campaigns highlight the risks of doing too much too often, flattening audience excitement. Ajay Devgn’s reliance on sequels reflects another problem – creative repetition that limits surprise, even when performances remain competent,” he adds.

Will 2026 be any different?

That contrast becomes even sharper when one looks ahead to 2026. The most anticipated titles on the slate – Dhurandhar 2, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War, and Shah Rukh Khan’s King — are being positioned as carefully mounted events.

Significantly, Shah Rukh appears firmly settled into age-appropriate, seasoned roles, leaning into gravitas rather than spectacle. On the other hand, Akshay Kumar is slated to have as many as four releases in the year, while also returning to television as host of Wheel of Fortune, reinforcing the very visibility that has fuelled audience fatigue. Salman Khan, meanwhile, is hoping to reset perception with Battle of Galwan.

Speaking from experience…

Actor Shahid Kapoor, whose Deva was a non-performer this year, takes a philosophical view. With Cocktail 2 and O Romeo lined up for 2026, he says, “You have to understand where the audience is coming from, when they’re unhappy, why they feel let down. Today, films either do very small numbers or extremely big ones. When acceptance comes, it’s massive. I’ve been doing this for over two decades and have seen many phases. It’s important for something to go down for it to come back up again. At your lowest, you learn and accept that you don’t know everything.”