The year 2025 was anything but predictable for the Indian film industry. While a handful of movies managed to draw crowds and earn profits, several highly anticipated projects failed to deliver. These films came with famous faces, hefty budgets and loud promotions, raising expectations among fans and trade experts alike.
However, once they hit theatres, audiences stayed away, turning many of these big releases into financial disappointments. The year served as a reminder that strong marketing and star power alone cannot guarantee box-office success.
Here’s a closer look at some of the most talked-about Bollywood flops of 2025:
1. Emergency:
Kangana Ranaut’s political drama Emergency released on January 17 with considerable buzz. Despite the actor’s strong screen presence and the film’s ambitious scale, it struggled commercially. Made on a budget of Rs 60 crore, the film managed to collect only Rs 17 crore in India. Its overseas earnings stood at Rs 22.5 crore, which still wasn’t enough to recover costs.
2. War 2:
Ayan Mukerji’s War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR and Kiara Advani, arrived with enormous buzz and a reported budget of Rs 400 crore. However, the film could generate only Rs 179 crore nett in Hindi, making it the biggest box-office failure of 2025. Its poor performance stood in sharp contrast to the original War (2019), which had been a blockbuster.
3. Azaad:
Azaad starred Ajay Devgn alongside newcomers Rasha Thadani and Aman Devgn. The film was expected to make an impact, especially as it introduced star kids to Bollywood. Unfortunately, the story failed to connect. With a budget of Rs 80 crore, the film earned less than Rs 10 crore, making it one of the year’s biggest flops.
4. Sikandar:
Salman Khan’s much-anticipated Eid release Sikandar, helmed by A.R. Murugadoss and featuring Rashmika Mandanna, failed to meet expectations. With a massive Rs 275 crore budget, the film earned only Rs 101 crore nett. The flop extended Salman Khan’s dry spell of Eid hits since 2016 and brought Rashmika Mandanna’s run of successful films to a halt.
5. Deva:
Shahid Kapoor’s Deva hit screens on January 31 after heavy promotions. While expectations were high, audience response was lukewarm. The film, made for around Rs 55 crore, ended its run with collections of just Rs 35.1 crore.
6. Fateh:
Actor Sonu Sood stepped into the director’s chair with Fateh, released on January 10, 2025. Despite curiosity around his directorial debut, the film underperformed. Made on a budget of Rs 30 crore, it earned only Rs 17 crore.
7. Son of Sardaar 2:
Ajay Devgn returned with Son of Sardaar 2 on August 1. Despite a large ensemble cast, the film earned Rs 44.9 crore, falling short of its massive Rs 130 crore budget.
8. Loveyapa:
Starring Khushi Kapoor and Junaid Khan, Loveyapa released in Hindi and Tamil on February 7. The romantic drama failed to leave a mark, earning around Rs 10–12 crore against a reported budget of Rs 50 crore.
9. Baaghi 4:
Directed by A. Harsha, Baaghi 4 proved to be another misstep for the action franchise. Despite Tiger Shroff leading the film and a hefty production cost of Rs 200 crore, it could collect just Rs 49 crore nett. The disappointing response put the future of the Baaghi series in doubt and marked yet another box-office failure for Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.
10. Mere Husband Ki Biwi:
This romantic comedy featuring Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Rakul Preet Singh released on February 21. Despite its popular cast, it collected only Rs 11.8 crore worldwide, far below its Rs 60 crore budget.
11. Mastiii 4:
Milap Zaveri’s Mastiii 4 brought back Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani, but the nostalgia failed to translate into ticket sales. Mounted on a Rs 70 crore budget, the adult comedy managed to earn only Rs 14 crore nett. The film performed even worse than Great Grand Masti and was widely slammed by critics as well as viewers.
12. Maalik:
Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik, released on July 11, turned out to be one of the weakest performers of his career. The film earned Rs 28.1 crore worldwide against a budget of Rs 54 crore.
Together, these films highlight how unpredictable the box office can be, even for well-known stars and big-budget productions.
