As 2024 draws to a close, it can be concluded that it was a year of mixed emotions for the Indian film industry. Notable successes were achieved by Allu Arjun and Prabhas with their respective blockbusters, Pushpa 2 The Rule and Kalki 2898 AD. However, several films that generated significant anticipation and had considerable potential did not succeed commercially.

Numerous high-budget productions featuring prominent stars failed to resonate with audiences, resulting in disappointing box office performances. Below is an overview of some of the most significant letdowns of the year.

Indian 2

The eagerly awaited sequel to the 1996 hit film Indian has unfortunately fallen short of expectations. Renowned actor Kamal Haasan returned to portray his character Senapathy, a vigilante dedicated to combating corruption. Despite the significant anticipation surrounding its release, the sequel received a range of mixed to unfavourable reviews from viewers. With a production budget of ₹250 crore, the film only generated ₹148.33 crore in global box office revenue.

Kanguva

Suriya's Kanguva, helmed by director Siva, was regarded as one of the most ambitious and eagerly awaited films of the year. Featuring a star-studded cast, the film included Bobby Deol in the role of the antagonist. Initially compared to the monumental success of Baahubali, it ultimately underperformed at the box office. The film garnered only ₹106.25 crore, a stark contrast to its substantial production budget of ₹350 crore.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff collaborated for the first time in the action film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Despite its substantial production budget of ₹350 crore, the film struggled to draw audiences to theatres following its opening day and ultimately concluded its box office run with earnings of merely ₹111.49 crores. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film has been categorized as one of the most significant failures of 2024.

Maidaan

Ajay Devgn's Maidaan narrates the remarkable journey of Syed Abdul Rahim, the influential coach who played a pivotal role in the development of Indian football. Despite its significant potential to emerge as a major hit of the year, the film faced numerous delays in its release and encountered competition from Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which ultimately contributed to its underperformance at the box office. With a substantial production budget of ₹250 crore, the film managed to garner only ₹71 crore in worldwide box office earnings.

Lal Salaam

Aishwarya Rajinikanth directed the sports action film, which was produced with a budget ranging from ₹80 to ₹90 crore. Despite featuring an extended cameo by Rajinikanth, the film performed poorly at the box office. It garnered mixed reviews from both critics and audiences, adversely affecting its financial success. Ultimately, the film generated a mere ₹17.46 crore in India and a total of ₹32.65 crore globally.

Thangalaan

Vikram's Thangalaan featured him in five distinct roles, supported by a talented ensemble cast that included Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Daniel Caltagirone, Pasupathy, and Hari Krishnan. While the performances of the cast garnered positive reactions from the audience, the film faced criticism regarding its historical inaccuracies, visual effects, and writing, which adversely affected its box office performance. Ultimately, the film grossed ₹68 crore globally, falling short of recouping its production budget, estimated between ₹100 and ₹150 crore.

Saindhav

Saindhav signifies the 75th film of Venkatesh Daggubati. Despite the anticipation surrounding the project and the presence of notable actors such as Venkatesh, Arya, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film received a mixed to negative reception from viewers, primarily attributed to its lacklustre script and direction. Unfortunately, by the conclusion of its first week, the daily box office earnings had fallen below ₹1 crore, culminating in a total worldwide collection of ₹18 crore against a production budget of ₹55 crore.

Double iSmart

A follow-up to the successful film iSmart Shankar, titled Double iSmart, generated significant anticipation prior to its release. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film features Sanjay Dutt in the role of the primary antagonist and Ram Pothineni as the lead character. Upon its release, the film received unfavourable reviews and was nearly removed from theatres in the Telugu states within ten days. Despite the producers' high expectations for a blockbuster, it ultimately performed poorly at the box office, grossing merely ₹19 crore globally against a production budget of ₹90 crore.

Mr Bachchan

One of the significant letdowns this year was Ravi Teja's Mr. Bachchan. This film, a remake of Ajay Devgn's successful movie, Raid, faced competition from Double iSmart on Independence Day and garnered unfavorable critiques from reviewers. It did not manage to engage the audience, leading to a drop in box office earnings after the second day. Ultimately, the film turned out to be a substantial financial failure, grossing merely ₹13.5 crore globally against a production budget of ₹70 crore.

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