2023 Bollywood Recap: Major Box Office Duds of the Year

The year 2023 was very charming in the entertainment industry, especially after a dull 2022. This year brought with it a number of big releases that went on to become the greatest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, but there were also a number of films that failed to meet box office expectations and left audiences feeling let down. Nonetheless, there are a few movies on the list that, despite receiving positive reviews from critics, were unable to draw crowds to theaters.

Here, as the year draws to a close, we look at the movies that didn’t make a lot of money at the box office.

Selfie

Emraan Hashmi and Akshay Kumar fell short of the audience’s expectations. The film, which debuted on February 24 in theaters, was a colossal commercial failure because it was unable to draw large crowds. At the box office, the movie only brought in Rs 23 crore (Rs 230 million).

Shehzada

When it came to box office receipts, Shehzada starring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon was one of the biggest letdowns. The official Hindi version of Allu Arjun’s film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, directed by Rohit Dhawan, took in a total of Rs 47 crore (Rs 470 million).

Bheed

The film Bheed, directed by Anubhav Sinha, transports viewers to the dark days of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when India was engulfed in a migrant crisis. The film received favorable reviews from critics but did poorly at the box office, taking in Rs 3.33 crore (roughly Rs 30 million).

Raniganj Mission

Mission Raniganj, starring Akshay Kumar, did poorly at the box office even though it received positive reviews. Kumar plays Jaswant Singh Gill in the suspenseful drama, which is based on an actual incident. Gill led the rescue effort and helped save the lives of 65 miners. The movie only made 45 crore (Rs 450 million) in revenue.

The Kuttey

One of the worst films of 2023 was the chaotic Arjun Kapoor and Tabu film. Originating from Aasmaan, the son of Vishal Bharadwaj, the film was a complete failure, earning approximately Rs. 4.65 crore (Rs 46.5 million).

Zegwato

The film directed by comedian-turned-actor Kapil Sharma won praise for its important message. Nevertheless, the Nandita Das-helmed picture did not do well at the box office. The film brought in Rs 3 crore (roughly Rs 30 million) at the box office.

Ganapath: The Birth of a Hero

Ganapath: A Hero is Born, starring Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, was a huge commercial failure and did not perform well at the box office. The dystopian film, directed by Vikas Bahl, was produced for a budget of Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion). Regretfully, the film’s box office receipts came to Rs 13.38 crore (Rs 133.8 million).