As ‘Haiwaan’ Struggles, 15 Bollywood Two-Hero Films That Flopped At The Box Office

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Sep 19, 2026 16:15 IST ⓘ

Bollywood’s biggest two-hero films that failed to justify their star power.

Putting two male stars in the same frame has always looked like Bollywood’s easiest box-office shortcut. One hero can bring the swagger, the other can supply the conflict, and the poster can do half the selling before either man has delivered a dialogue. When the chemistry clicks, the result can be ‘Sholay’, ‘Karan Arjun’ or ‘War’. When it does not, however, two fan bases, two star salaries and twice the hype can produce one very expensive disappointment. That old lesson has returned with ‘Haiwaan’.

Priyadarshan’s crime thriller, released on 11 September 2026, brought Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together in a film for the first time since ‘Tashan’ in 2008. Saif plays Shyam, a visually impaired caretaker framed for murder, while Akshay crosses over to the dark side as the vengeful Parshuram. Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher appear in key roles, and the film reworks Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam hit ‘Oppam’.

The reunion has not translated into ticket-window excitement. After opening at Rs 3 crore net in India, ‘Haiwaan’ slipped to Rs 70 lakh on both Monday and Tuesday. By the end of Day 5, it stood at Rs 8.75 crore net in India and Rs 13.61 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. Reportedly, it has been made on a budget of approximately Rs 100-130 crore. Its theatrical run is still under way, so a final verdict would be premature, but the trajectory is plainly worrying. Interestingly, Akshay and Saif’s ‘Tashan’ had also underperformed.

That brings us to Hindi cinema’s other double-star promises that became single-screen headaches.

Without further ado, check out the list below:

1. War 2 - Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR

A spy-universe sequel, a face-off between two exceptional dancers and action stars, and a director fresh from ‘Brahmastra’: ‘War 2’ arrived carrying the sort of expectations normally reserved for a national event. Ayan Mukerji’s film released on 14 August 2025, with Hrithik Roshan returning as Kabir and Jr NTR entering the YRF Spy Universe as his formidable adversary. Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor rounded out the principal cast.

The film opened loudly but could not sustain the noise. Sacnilk recorded an India net total of Rs 236.55 crore and a worldwide gross of Rs 364.35 crore. Those would be enviable numbers for most releases, but not for a spectacle whose reported landing cost was around Rs 400 crore and whose economics demanded an enormous theatrical finish.

2. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan - Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff

Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff spent much of ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ firing weapons, jumping from aircraft and trading jokes. The box office supplied the one explosion nobody had ordered. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and released on 11 April 2024, the action film cast the duo as elite soldiers brought back to stop a masked enemy played by Prithviraj Sukumaran. Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, Sonakshi Sinha and Ronit Roy were also part of the ensemble.

Mounted on a widely reported budget of about Rs 350 crore, the film finished with only Rs 65.97 crore net in India and Rs 111.50 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. Its scale became the problem rather than the solution: every elaborate set piece made the gulf between expenditure and audience interest look larger.

3. Selfiee - Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi

In ‘Selfiee’, a superstar and his once-devoted fan go to war over a driving licence. At the box office, unfortunately, very few people appeared interested in stopping to watch the traffic dispute. Raj Mehta’s Hindi remake of the Malayalam film ‘Driving Licence’ released on 24 February 2023 and paired Akshay Kumar’s movie star Vijay Kumar with Emraan Hashmi’s RTO inspector Om Prakash Aggarwal. Diana Penty and Nushrratt Bharuccha played the principal female leads.

The film was reportedly made for around Rs 100 crore but collected just Rs 17.03 crore net in India and Rs 24.60 crore worldwide. Sacnilk classified it as a disaster. More startling than the lifetime number was the inability of two established stars to generate even a respectable start: its Rs 2.55-crore opening immediately turned a battle of egos on screen into a box-office post-mortem outside it.

4. Vikram Vedha - Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan

On paper, ‘Vikram Vedha’ was premium cat-and-mouse cinema: Saif Ali Khan as the uncompromising policeman Vikram, Hrithik Roshan as the magnetic gangster Vedha, and Pushkar-Gayathri remaking their own acclaimed Tamil thriller. Released on 30 September 2022, the film also starred Radhika Apte, Rohit Saraf, Yogita Bihani and Sharib Hashmi. Hrithik’s entrance, Saif’s intensity and the moral riddles earned admiration, but appreciation never became a sufficiently large theatrical crowd.

Sacnilk placed the film’s India net collection at Rs 78.90 crore and worldwide gross at Rs 135.44 crore. Reports put its budget near Rs 175 crore. The irony was almost worthy of Vedha’s stories: the film was not rejected as ferociously as many famous disasters, yet its high cost made merely decent collections inadequate.

5. Thank God - Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra

Indra Kumar’s ‘Thank God’ sent Sidharth Malhotra’s deeply flawed Ayaan Kapoor to a celestial courtroom, where Ajay Devgn’s sharply dressed Chitragupt audited his sins. Released on 25 October 2022, the Diwali comedy also featured Rakul Preet Singh and Seema Pahwa, with Nora Fatehi appearing in the song ‘Manike’. Ajay may not be a conventional parallel hero here, but his name, face and character powered the campaign as decisively as Sidharth’s protagonist did.

The festive slot could not perform a box office miracle. Against Sacnilk’s approximate Rs 70 crore budget, the film earned Rs 36.35 crore net in India and Rs 48.99 crore worldwide, receiving a flop verdict from the tracker.

6. Kalank - Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur

Strictly speaking, ‘Kalank’ was a sprawling ensemble. Yet its younger male axis – Varun Dhawan’s rebellious Zafar and Aditya Roy Kapur’s restrained Dev – formed the central romantic and emotional conflict, surrounded by Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt. Abhishek Varman’s pre-Partition drama released on 17 April 2019 looking like every frame had been dipped in jewellery, smoke and money.

It also demonstrated how a record start can become misleading. ‘Kalank’ opened at Rs 21.60 crore net, then fell sharply as the initial curiosity evaporated. Sacnilk listed a Rs 150 crore budget, Rs 84.60 crore India net and Rs 146.80 crore worldwide, with a flop verdict.

7. Thugs Of Hindostan - Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan

The first full-scale screen pairing of Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan should have been cinematic treasure. Instead, ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ became a cautionary tale buried beneath ships, sword fights and a record-breaking opening day. Vijay Krishna Acharya’s period adventure released on 8 November 2018, with Aamir playing the slippery Firangi Mallah and Big B the rebel commander Khudabaksh Azaad. Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh completed the star quartet.

Sacnilk recorded a huge Rs 300 crore budget, Rs 151 crore India net and Rs 327 crore worldwide, and classified the film as a “disaster”. The opening suggested a monster hit; the crash that followed suggested audiences had staged a mutiny.

8. Aiyaary - Manoj Bajpayee and Sidharth Malhotra

Neeraj Pandey had previously turned men in uniforms and men with secrets into gripping thrillers. ‘Aiyaary’, released on 16 February 2018, attempted another battle of principles by casting Manoj Bajpayee as Colonel Abhay Singh and Sidharth Malhotra as his protégé, Major Jai Bakshi. Rakul Preet Singh, Pooja Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Kumud Mishra and Adil Hussain gave the film an enviable supporting bench.

The cast was deep; the collections were not. Sacnilk recorded an approximate Rs 65 crore budget, an India net of Rs 17.01 crore and a worldwide gross of Rs 30.59 crore, with a flop verdict.

9. Rangoon - Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor

Vishal Bhardwaj placed Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor on opposite sides of love, class and war in ‘Rangoon’. Released on 24 February 2017, the World War II-era drama starred Kangana Ranaut as film star Julia, Saif as her producer and possessive lover Rusi Billimoria, and Shahid as soldier Nawab Malik. It was visually ambitious, politically textured and backed by three actors prepared to make bold choices – not exactly the usual ingredients of a disposable Friday release.

The gamble failed commercially. Sacnilk listed a budget of approximately Rs 60 crore, an India net collection of Rs 20.76 crore and a worldwide gross of Rs 39.80 crore, categorising it as a disaster. The film later found defenders, particularly for its craft and performances, but the theatres were unforgiving.

10. Tezz - Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor

14 years before ‘Haiwaan’, Priyadarshan had already discovered that assembling famous men around a ticking bomb does not automatically make the box office move faster. Released on 27 April 2012, ‘Tezz’ pitted Ajay Devgn’s embittered immigrant Aakash Rana against Anil Kapoor’s counter-terrorism officer Arjun Khanna after a bomb was planted on a London-bound train. Kangana Ranaut, Sameera Reddy, Zayed Khan and Boman Irani played important roles, while Mohanlal made a special appearance.

Box Office India classified the thriller as a disaster. Made for approximately Rs 52 crore, it collected Rs 15.92 crore net in India and Rs 26.12 crore worldwide.

11. Rascals - Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt

David Dhawan, Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt joining forces for a broad comedy sounded like a dependable festive package. In ‘Rascals’, released on 6 October 2011, Ajay and Sanjay played competing conmen Bhagat and Chetan, whose attempts to outwit each other become even more frantic after both pursue Kangana Ranaut’s character. Lisa Haydon, Arjun Rampal and Chunky Panday added further chaos.

The jokes did not convert into sufficient business. Sacnilk gave the film an approximate Rs 45 crore budget, Rs 32.60 crore India net and Rs 49.10 crore worldwide, classifying it as a flop. The worldwide gross may sit above the reported production cost, but theatrical gross is not the producer’s share; distribution expenses, exhibitor cuts and recovery terms still matter.

12. Blue - Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt

Underwater action, buried treasure, international locations and an AR Rahman soundtrack made ‘Blue’ one of 2009’s shiniest packages. Anthony D’Souza’s adventure, released on 16 October, placed Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt at its starry centre, with Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Rahul Dev in major roles and Katrina Kaif in a special appearance. Even Kylie Minogue turned up for ‘Chiggy Wiggy’. On paper, the film had enough attractions to stock an entire multiplex lobby.

Sacnilk estimated the budget at Rs 75 crore and recorded Rs 38.66 crore net in India and Rs 63.90 crore worldwide, along with a flop verdict.

13. London Dreams - Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn

Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s ‘London Dreams’ turned Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn into childhood friends divided by music, fame and jealousy. Released on 30 October 2009, the drama cast Ajay as the fiercely ambitious Arjun and Salman as the naturally gifted Mannu, with Asin, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rannvijay Singha and Om Puri in supporting roles. The stars had previously shared screen space in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. This time, they traded romantic conflict for a rock band and a spectacular professional implosion.

The theatrical result was equally off-key. Box Office India recorded a Rs 63 crore budget, Rs 25.69 crore India net and Rs 41.32 crore worldwide, classifying it as a flop.

14. Jaan-E-Mann - Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar

Years before their off-screen camaraderie became awards-show material, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar played romantic rivals in ‘Jaan-E-Mann’. Shirish Kunder’s directorial debut released on 20 October 2006 and starred Salman as fading actor Suhaan, Akshay as awkward scientist Agastya and Preity Zinta as the woman connecting their lives. Anupam Kher appeared in a memorable supporting turn. The film was colourful, musically ambitious and unexpectedly tender beneath its exaggerated styling.

It also had the misfortune of arriving opposite Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Don’. Box Office India listed a Rs 35 crore budget, Rs 25.13 crore India net and Rs 46.27 crore worldwide, with a flop verdict. The numbers do not look catastrophic by modern standards, but the film failed to recover what its scale and star combination demanded.

15. Mela - Aamir Khan and Faisal Khan

The new millennium began with one of Hindi cinema’s most famously overcooked star vehicles. Dharmesh Darshan’s ‘Mela’, released on 7 January 2000, paired Aamir Khan with his brother Faisal Khan as travelling entertainers Kishan and Shankar, who help Twinkle Khanna’s Roopa avenge the destruction of her village. Tinu Verma played the villain Gujjar Singh, while Johnny Lever and Ayub Khan appeared in supporting roles.

Sacnilk estimated that the film cost Rs 16 crore and collected Rs 15.04 crore net in India and Rs 28.06 crore worldwide, assigning it a flop verdict. ‘Mela’ eventually acquired an afterlife through television, memes and camp appreciation, but its theatrical fairground shut down much earlier than planned.

Honourable Mentions

Several other star pairings discovered that two leading men do not necessarily bring twice the box-office power. Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol’s emotional drama ‘Dosti: Friends Forever’ was declared a flop after collecting approximately Rs 22.81 crore worldwide, while Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar’s swagger-heavy ‘Kill Dil’ earned around Rs 58.60 crore globally but suffered the same fate. Shahid Kapoor and Sunny Deol’s chaotic comedy ‘Fool N Final’, Akshay Kumar and Imran Khan’s gangster sequel ‘Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!’, and Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol’s colourful musical ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ also arrived with recognisable stars, elaborate packaging and catchy soundtracks but could not turn all that noise into convincing theatrical success. They may not rank among the 15 biggest debacles, but they certainly belong in Bollywood’s crowded museum of two-hero disappointments.

From ‘Mela’ to ‘War ‘2 – and now, potentially, ‘Haiwaan’ – Bollywood’s costliest double acts have repeatedly learned the same lesson: the audience does not count heroes before buying a ticket. It only asks whether the film is worth showing up for.