If you ask any trade expert about Bollywood’s performance in the first six months of 2025, they would likely say the industry has delivered only three clean hits: Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, Ajay Devgn’s Raid 2, and Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par (the latter not quite a proper hit yet, but on its way). Chhaava stands as one of Bollywood’s biggest money-spinners of all time and the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025 so far. Raid 2 succeeded largely due to the goodwill of its predecessor, while Sitaare Zameen Par drew family audiences, even if it underperformed compared to typical Aamir Khan entertainers. Box Office Report Card 2025: From Vicky Kaushal’s ‘Chhaava’ to Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, 7 Highest-Grossing Bollywood Movies This Year – Sadly, Not All Are Hits!

However, just three hits in six months is hardly encouraging, given the sheer volume of releases. Big-budget films like Housefull 5, Deva, Kesari Chapter 2, Sky Force, Jaat, The Diplomat, and Sikandar underperformed at the box office. Still, they fared better than some high-profile disasters headlined by stars like Kangana Ranaut, Emraan Hashmi, Sanjay Dutt, and even Ajay Devgn.

In this feature, we examine nine Bollywood films from 2025 that flopped spectacularly - and why. (Box office figures sourced from Bollywood Hungama.)

1. Emergency

A Still From Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Shreyas Talpade, Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Satish Kaushik, Milind Soman, Vishak Nair

Budget: INR 60 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 16.52 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 21.75 crore

Why It Flopped: Repeatedly shuffled release dates, weak lead performance, and an unclear tone - wavering between neutral biopic and political propaganda. ‘Emergency’ Box Office Verdict – Hit or Flop: 5 Reasons Why Kangana Ranaut’s Indira Gandhi Biopic Fell Flat in Theatres.

2. Azaad

A Still From Azaad

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan, Rasha Thadani, Diana Penty

Budget: INR 80 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 6.32 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 9.17 crore

Why It Flopped: Mixed reviews, Ajay Devgn’s role reduced to an extended cameo, and lack of buzz for the newcomers.

 

3. Loveyapa

A Still From Loveyapa

Director: Advait Chandan

Cast: Junaid Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Kiku Sharda

Budget: INR 60 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 7.04 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 8.99 crore

Why It Flopped: Remakes continue to struggle, and the pairing of Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor failed to attract audiences.

4. Mere Husband Ki Biwi

A Still From Mere Husband Ki Biwi

Director: Mudassar Aziz

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Rakul Preet Singh, Harsh Gujral

Budget: INR 60 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 9.38 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 12.73 crore

Why It Flopped: Weak comedy, Arjun Kapoor’s diminishing box office appeal, and an uninspired script.

5. Romeo S3

A Still From Romeo S3

Director: Guddu Dhanoa

Cast: Thakur Anoop Singh, Palak Tiwari

Budget: Not Available

India Box Office (Nett): INR 0.10 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): Not Available

Why It Flopped: Abysmal word-of-mouth and negligible buzz.

6. Ground Zero

A Still From Ground Zero

Director: Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sai Tamhankar, Zoya Hussain

Budget: INR 50 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 7.54 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 10.35 crore

Why It Flopped: Minimal promotional buzz and Emraan Hashmi’s fading box office pull.

7. The Bhootnii

A Still From The Bhootnii

Director: Sidhaant Sachdev

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Singh, Mouni Roy, Palak Tiwari

Budget: INR 30 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 6.10 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 9.57 crore

Why It Flopped: Poorly executed horror-comedy with lacklustre trailers and songs. ‘The Bhootnii’ Movie Review: Move Over ‘Nadaaniyan’, This Sanjay Dutt-Mouni Roy Horror-Comedy Is the Most Insufferable Movie of 2025!

8. Kapkapiii

A Still From Kapkapiii

Director: Sangeeth Sivan

Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Siddhi Idnani, Sonia Rathee

Budget: INR 25 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 0.97 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 1.78 crore

Why It Flopped: Another forgettable remake with zero buzz and a limited release strategy.

9. Kesari Veer

A Still From Kesari Veer

Director:  Prince Dhiman and Kanubhai Chauhan

Cast: Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi, Akanksha Sharma

Budget: INR 60 crore

India Box Office (Nett): INR 0.62 crore

Worldwide Box Office (Gross): INR 1.89 crore

Why It Flopped: A poorly made propaganda film with wooden performances and no audience interest.

The industry must rethink its reliance on remakes, propaganda narratives, and half-baked comedies if it hopes to recover. For now, these nine flops serve as a stark reminder that even popular stars can’t salvage a poorly made film.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 01, 2025 06:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).