Box Office Nightmares: 14 Times Bollywood's Multi-Starrer Formula Failed Miserably
From ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ to ‘Kalank’, here’s a look at Bollywood multi-starrers that proved even the biggest ensemble casts cannot save weak films.
There is an undeniable thrill in seeing a galaxy of stars sharing the same screen. For decades, Bollywood filmmakers have relied on the multi-starrer formula as a surefire way to draw audiences into theaters. The logic seems foolproof: stack the poster with A-listers, generate massive pre-release hype, and watch the box office numbers explode. However, over the years, the industry has learned a very expensive lesson. Without a cohesive script, strong character development, or an engaging narrative, even the most star-studded casting coups can come crashing down.
Some of Hindi cinema’s most ambitious failures had everything going for them before release – superstars, expensive sets, big banners, hit music, holiday dates and aggressive marketing. Yet, once the films reached theatres, the audience response was unforgiving.
From ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ to ‘Kalank’ and ‘Cirkus’, here’s a look at Bollywood multi-starrers that failed to live up to their billing.
Check out the list below:
1. Sikandar
Expected to be Salman Khan’s massive comeback vehicle following a string of underperformers, ‘Sikandar’ was positioned as the ultimate Eid blockbuster of the decade. Released on March 30, 2025, the film was directed by acclaimed action-auteur A.R. Murugadoss (Ghajini, Holiday) and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The project boasted a sprawling, pan-Indian ensemble cast featuring Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sharman Joshi, Sathyaraj, and Prateik Babbar. Promising high-octane action and emotionally resonant storytelling, the film was one of the most expensive productions in Nadiadwala's history, carrying a staggering estimated budget of Rs 180 to Rs 200 crores.
Despite a strong opening weekend fuelled by sheer star power and festive hype, ‘Sikandar’ was met with outright audience rejection and negative word-of-mouth. Critics also criticised the highly formulaic screenplay, uninspired direction, and an overarching narrative that felt completely disconnected from modern cinematic sensibilities. After the initial holiday period, the film’s box office numbers crashed spectacularly. ‘Sikandar’ exhausted its global theatrical run with a shockingly low worldwide gross of around Rs 184 crore, managing an India net of just Rs 110 crore.
2. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
Marketed as the ultimate action extravaganza and securing a highly coveted Eid holiday release window on April 11, 2024, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ was projected to be a monumental money-spinner. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film brought together an enormous ensemble cast featuring two generations of action stars, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, pitting them against a menacing antagonist played by Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran, with Sonakshi Sinha, Manushi Chhillar, and Alaya F in supporting roles. Given the director's previous blockbuster track record with films like ‘Sultan’ and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, expectations were sky-high.
Unfortunately, the film was brutally rejected by both critics and audiences almost immediately upon release. Reviewers pointed out a stale, recycled storyline, ear-splitting background scores, and surprisingly lacklustre chemistry between the two leads. Despite an astronomical budget of approximately Rs 350 crores spent on exotic locations and extensive CGI, the spectacle felt entirely hollow. The film proved to be a financial disaster, finishing its theatrical run with a dismal worldwide gross of just Rs 111.50 crore and an India net collection of roughly Rs 65.97 crore.
3. Khel Khel Mein
Attempting to capitalize on the Independence Day weekend, ‘Khel Khel Mein’ was released on August 15, 2024, offering an urban alternative to traditional action blockbusters. Directed by Mudassar Aziz, the official remake of the Italian hit ‘Perfect Strangers’ boasted a massive, glamorous cast that included Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Vaani Kapoor, Ammy Virk, Fardeen Khan, Pragya Jaiswal, and Aditya Seal. The comedy-drama promised a return to form for Akshay Kumar in the genre and aimed to draw multiplex audiences seeking a light-hearted festive watch.
However, the film made the fatal error of clashing directly with the mammoth blockbuster ‘Stree 2’ and John Abraham's ‘Vedaa’. While ‘Khel Khel Mein’ actually received decent reviews for its sharp writing and situational humour, the audience entirely bypassed it in favour of the horror-comedy juggernaut. Unable to survive the fierce competition, the film, mounted on a budget of Rs 100 crore, struggled to find its footing and ultimately wrapped up with a worldwide gross of Rs 57 crore, netting only Rs 40 crore in India.
4. Cirkus
Rohit Shetty has long been Bollywood’s most bankable director for mass entertainers, and his collaboration with Ranveer Singh in ‘Simmba’ had already proven highly successful. Released on December 23, 2022, ‘Cirkus’ was highly anticipated as a festive family comedy, loosely adapting William Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’. The massive ensemble featured Ranveer Singh and Varun Sharma both in double roles, backed by Pooja Hegde, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sanjay Mishra, Johny Lever, and a sprawling cast of veteran comedy actors, perfectly positioned to dominate the Christmas box office.
The execution completely missed the mark. The film was heavily criticised for its garish, artificial sets and a script relying on severely outdated, slapstick humour that felt completely out of touch with modern audiences. Even the usually electric Ranveer Singh couldn't salvage the flat writing. Built on a reported budget of Rs 150 crore, the film collapsed entirely over its opening weekend, ultimately halting its worldwide run at a shocking Rs 61 crore and handing Rohit Shetty the first outright disaster of his contemporary career.
5. 83
Bringing the historic story of India's 1983 Cricket World Cup victory to the big screen, ‘83’ featured a massive ensemble cast meticulously chosen to represent Kapil Dev's legendary team. Directed by Kabir Khan and released on December 24, 2021, the film starred Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Ammy Virk, and Harrdy Sandhu. With Ranveer delivering an acclaimed performance as the captain, the film was praised by critics upon release. Despite the critical acclaim, ‘83’ fell victim to bad timing and a heavily bloated budget.
The film was delayed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, skyrocketing its production and interest costs to a reported Rs 220 crore. When it finally released, it faced the sudden onset of the Omicron wave, which closed down theatres in key regions like Delhi. Furthermore, it was heavily cannibalized by the unprecedented success of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, resulting in a worldwide gross of Rs 193 crore (Rs 107.31 crore India net). While the collection was respectable under the circumstances, the astronomical budget meant heavy losses for the investors.
6. Kalank
‘Kalank’ was a long-gestating passion project conceptualised by Karan Johar and his late father, Yash Johar, more than a decade before it finally hit the floors. Directed by Abhishek Varman and released on April 17, 2019, the period drama was set against the backdrop of the 1940s pre-partition era. The film’s ensemble cast was a dream for any Bollywood fan, bridging the gap between veteran icons like Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt and current-generation stars like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha, and Kunal Kemmu.
While the film was undeniably visually stunning, boasting magnificent sets and elaborate costumes, the narrative itself was deeply flawed. Viewers found the nearly three-hour runtime to be painfully slow, bogged down by a convoluted plot and a lack of genuine emotional depth. The grandiosity felt entirely unearned, and audiences quickly checked out. Mounted on a hefty Rs 150 crore budget, the film could only muster a worldwide gross of Rs 146.80 crore (Rs 84.60 crore India net), becoming a glaring example of style over substance.
7. Thugs of Hindostan
Positioned as Bollywood’s answer to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ pulled off the ultimate casting coup. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and released on November 8, 2018, the Yash Raj Films production brought cinema legends Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan together for the very first time, alongside Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ronit Roy and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub. Riding on Aamir’s phenomenal success streak post-Dangal, the film shattered opening day records, raking in over Rs 50 crore on day one and setting the stage for what seemed like an undisputed blockbuster.
The euphoria lasted exactly one day. The moment word-of-mouth began circulating, the film’s collections plummeted drastically. Audiences criticised the amateurish visual effects, a deeply uninspired script, and characters that bordered on caricatures rather than compelling anti-heroes. The immense production cost – estimated between Rs 240 and Rs 310 crore – meant that despite scraping together an impressive-sounding Rs 327.51 crore worldwide, it yielded massive losses for distributors who had acquired the theatrical rights at premium prices.
8. Zero
‘Zero’ was one of Shah Rukh Khan’s most ambitious films. Directed by Aanand L Rai, the 2018 romantic drama also starred Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, R Madhavan and Abhay Deol, with a long list of special appearances from Bollywood celebrities. It released on December 21, 2018, and featured SRK as Bauua Singh, a vertically challenged man from Meerut. The film also had Anushka playing a scientist with cerebral palsy and Katrina as a troubled superstar.
The ambition was clear, but the film struggled to balance romance, fantasy, humour and emotional drama. Its second half became especially divisive, and the audience response was far weaker than expected for a SRK Christmas release. Bollywood Hungama listed ‘Zero’ as a flop, with Rs 90.28 crore India nett and Rs 186 crore worldwide. Box Office India put its budget at around Rs 270 crore, which explained why the film became such a painful failure despite crossing the Rs 100 crore worldwide mark. The failure was significant enough that SRK took a long break from lead roles before returning with ‘Pathaan’ in 2023.
9. Salaam-E-Ishq
Fresh off the monumental success of ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, director Nikkhil Advani attempted to create Bollywood's ultimate romantic anthology, heavily inspired by the British hit ‘Love Actually’. Released on January 26, 2007, ‘Salaam-E-Ishq’ interwove six different love stories and assembled one of the largest star casts of the decade, including Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Govinda, and Shannon Esra. The soundtrack by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy was an instant chartbuster, guaranteeing a massive opening.
However, the soaring ambition proved to be its undoing. Intersecting six distinct narratives resulted in a bloated, exhausting runtime of nearly three-and-a-half hours. While a couple of the stories connected emotionally with viewers, others felt entirely unnecessary and dragged the pacing down to a halt. The film was mounted on a sizable budget of Rs 43 crore – a huge figure for a 2007 romantic drama – and despite pulling in a worldwide gross of Rs 52.24 crore, the massive production, talent, and distribution costs required to manage an ensemble of this size deemed the film a theatrical failure.
10. Thank You
Directed by Anees Bazmee, ‘Thank You’ released on April 8, 2011, and carried the flavour of ensemble marital comedies like ‘No Entry’. The film starred Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Suniel Shetty, Irrfan Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Rimi Sen and Celina Jaitly, with Mallika Sherawat and Vidya Balan in special appearances. With a cast like this and Anees Bazmee’s comedy track record, the film had solid commercial packaging.
But the film did not recreate the magic of earlier ensemble comedies. Critics were unimpressed, and the audience response was lukewarm. Bollywood Hungama listed ‘Thank You’ as a flop, with Rs 46.57 crore India nett and Rs 75.37 crore worldwide. Box Office India listed the budget at around Rs 61 crore and worldwide gross at around Rs 71.02 crore. The film recovered some value through non-theatrical rights, but theatrically it failed to live up to the promise of its cast.
11. Action Replayy
‘Action Replayy’ brought together Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a colourful time-travel comedy directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Released on November 5, 2010, during Diwali, the film also starred Aditya Roy Kapur, Neha Dhupia, Om Puri, Kirron Kher, Rannvijay Singha and Rajpal Yadav. Its retro styling, songs and star pair were expected to attract family audiences.
However, the film failed to create festive excitement. Its humour, emotional core and screenplay did not connect strongly, and it was overshadowed by stronger audience interest elsewhere. Bollywood Hungama listed ‘Action Replayy’ as a flop, with Rs 29.06 crore India nett and Rs 48.56 crore worldwide. Despite Akshay and Aishwarya’s star value, the film became another Diwali release that could not turn scale and nostalgia into success.
12. Humshakals
‘Humshakals’ is remembered as one of the most criticised comedy films of the 2010s. Directed by Sajid Khan, the 2014 film starred Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Tamannaah Bhatia, Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta, with the three male leads playing triple roles. It released on June 20, 2014, and was designed as a loud mistaken-identity comedy. The film did bring together a wide comic ensemble, but the humour did not land with critics or a large section of the audience. Saif Ali Khan later publicly distanced himself from the film, calling it a mistake. Bollywood Hungama listed ‘Humshakals’ as a flop, with Rs 63.72 crore India nett and Rs 105.28 crore worldwide. The film’s budget has been reported at around Rs 64 crore, which means its theatrical performance was not enough to save its reputation. It remained a textbook case of how a comedy packed with actors can still fall flat if the writing collapses.
13. Tashan
In 2008, Yash Raj Films pulled out all the stops to create what was supposed to be the most stylish action-comedy of the decade. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and released on April 25, 2008, ‘Tashan’ featured an absolute powerhouse cast consisting of Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Anil Kapoor. The pre-release hype was deafening, driven largely by its chart-topping music and Kareena Kapoor famously debuting her highly publicized “size zero” look. Positioned as a slick, Tarantino-esque road movie, the trade expected it to shatter all existing box office records.
Instead, ‘Tashan’ became one of the most shocking misfires of its era. The audience was completely baffled by the bizarre, over-the-top narrative, jarring tonal shifts, and heavy reliance on style over any logical substance. Furthermore, the film suffered from a massive multiplex strike at the time of its release, restricting it heavily to single screens where the core audience entirely rejected its hyper-westernized aesthetic. Made on a substantial budget of around Rs 30 crore – a massive amount for 2008 – the film managed a worldwide gross of just Rs 31 crore, translating to a dismal India net of around Rs 14 crore and cementing its status as a multi-starrer disaster.
14. LOC: Kargil
After the massive success of ‘Border’, filmmaker J. P. Dutta returned to the war genre with ‘LOC: Kargil’. Released on December 12, 2003, the film was based on the Kargil War and featured a huge cast including Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Suniel Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna, Manoj Bajpayee, Nagarjuna, Ashutosh Rana, Sanjay Kapoor, Mohnish Bahl and Karan Nath.
The film had scale, patriotic emotion and a respected director, but its extreme runtime became a major problem. At over four hours, ‘LOC: Kargil’ tested audience patience despite its sincere intent. Box Office India listed its budget at Rs 33 crore, India gross at Rs 26.53 crore and worldwide gross at around Rs 31.67 crore. The film flopped at the box office, proving that even a patriotic subject and a massive ensemble cannot overcome length and narrative fatigue.
