While one Saiyaara has ignited hopes at the boxoffice, most major stars are saddled with flops in 2025: Shahid Kapoor’s Deva, Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, Akshay Kumar’s Sky Force, Salman Khan’s Sikandar, Sunny Deol’s Jaat, Ajay Devgan’s Raid 2 and Son Of Sardar 2, Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 5, Kajol’s Maa, Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik , Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 …these are the major flops featuring topnotch stars of the year, so far.
Some of these , you may have perceived as hits due to the impression created by production houses through corporate/bulk booking at the boxoffice. In fact, fudging of collection figures has become a routine practice among the major production houses.
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?”
If the big stars have let down the boxoffice this year, the younger breed hasn’t fared any better. The promising debutants , star kids, 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 Prithvi Raj and Kajol, Khushi Kapoor in Loveyappa and Nadaaniyan have proven to be non-starters in 2025 in spite of solid backing of renowned production houses.
Trade Guru Taran Adarsh deeply concerned about the declining numbers at the boxoffice. “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 according to Taran Adarsh? “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 Experiment beyond formula: Mass entertainers are important, but over-reliance on clichés [remakes, outdated tropes, forced comedy, item songs] creates fatigue.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.”
