The year 2025 was a rollercoaster for Indian cinema. While blockbusters like Kantara Chapter 1, Chhaava, and Dhurandhar ruled the box office, several highly anticipated films crashed spectacularly, leaving trade analysts and audiences stunned. Despite big budgets and star power, these movies failed to connect with viewers, becoming notable financial disasters.
High-Profile Bollywood Letdowns
Leading the pack of disappointments was Salman Khan's much-hyped action film, Sikandar. Produced by NGE Movies, the film opened with massive fanfare but saw a sharp decline in collections within days, failing to recover its substantial production cost. Similarly, the star-studded sequel War 2, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR under the Yash Raj Films banner, could not match the success of its predecessor. Despite high-octane promos, its convoluted plot was panned by critics.
Other major Hindi film failures included Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 4, which continued the franchise's declining returns, and the comedy sequel Masti 4 from Maruti International. The latter's dated humour failed to attract a new generation. Kangana Ranaut's ambitious political drama, Emergency, also sank without a trace, adding to a tough year for the actress. Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files, riding on the wave of his previous success, surprisingly met with audience apathy and mixed reviews.
Hollywood Stumbles in the Indian Market
The flop story was not limited to domestic productions. Hollywood releases also underperformed. The horror sequel M3GAN 2.0 from Universal Pictures lacked the novelty of the first film and saw weak ticket sales. Disney's big-budget sci-fi revival, Tron: Ares, despite its visual spectacle, was rejected by Indian audiences who found its narrative confusing and inaccessible.
What Went Wrong?
The common thread among these failures was a significant gap between audience expectations and the final product. Many films were criticised for weak scripts, predictable storytelling, and an over-reliance on star power rather than substance. The release date 17 December 2025, when this analysis was published, marked a point of reflection for the industry. These surprising flops serve as a reminder that in today's content-driven market, a strong concept and execution trump sheer scale and celebrity.
The box office duds of 2025 highlight a shifting paradigm in Indian cinema. Audiences are now more selective, gravitating towards compelling stories over mere glamour. This trend suggests that producers and stars will need to prioritise script quality and originality to avoid similar surprises in the future.
