It's Still Raining Flops in Bollywood!
Both big names and star kids have fizzled out at the box office. What can lift the industry out of the doldrums?
Though a lone film — Saiyaara — ignited hopes at the box office, most major stars have been saddled with flops so far in 2025: Shahid Kapoor’s Deva, Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, Akshay Kumar’s Sky Force and Housefull 5, Salman Khan’s Sikandar, Sunny Deol’s Jaat, Ajay Devgan’s Raid 2 and Son Of Sardar 2, Kajol’s Maa, Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik, Hrithik Roshan’s War 2, all fell short of expectations.
Some of these may have been perceived as hits due to the impression created by production houses through corporate/bulk booking. In fact, fudging of collection figures has become routine among the major production houses.
The bane of inflated figures
Says Roshan Singh, a major film exhibitor from Bihar, “Producers in Mumbai are celebrating the success of films for which distributors have lost heavily this year. Yash Raj Films has compensated the Telugu producer of War 2 for his losses. What about North Indian distributors?”
Star kids fail to rise
If the big stars have let down the box office, the younger breed hasn’t fared any better. Promising star kid debutants have come a cropper. Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan in Loveyappa, Saif Ali Khan’s Ibrahim Ali Khan in Naadaniyan and Sarzameen (the latter embarrassed the senior superstars Kajol and Prithviraj), and Khushi Kapoor in Loveyappa and Nadaaniyan proved to be non-starters despite the solid backing of renowned production houses.
Urgent need to course-correct
Trade guru Taran Adarsh, deeply concerned about the declining numbers at the box office, says, “Bollywood has witnessed ups and downs for decades, but in 2025, with several films underperforming despite big stars, heavy budgets, and aggressive marketing, the industry urgently needs to address the situation.”
So, what’s the solution? Taran Adarsh offers some tips:
Content first — Script over stars: Today’s audiences reject weak stories, even if top actors are involved. Strong writing remains the backbone of every film.
Experiment beyond formula: Mass entertainers are important, but over-reliance on clichés [remakes, outdated tropes, forced comedy, item songs] creates fatigue.
Reinvention of stars: Big names must break typecasting. When actors reinvent, like Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, the audience responds with euphoria.
Tight budgets, smarter economics: The ‘over-budget syndrome’ is killing Bollywood. Connect with the pan-India audience, not just metros. Stories rooted in Indian culture and family emotions connect better than imported gloss.
Concentrate on music: Bollywood songs once drove films. Invest in memorable soundtracks, not just ‘reels-friendly’ beats.
Marketing: Overhyping average films backfires.
New talent: Encourage new directors, writers and actors instead of relying on the same circle.
