Bollywood’s relationship with flops has been a long and painful one. Every year, producers pour money, sweat, and belief into films that they hope will turn into big hits. Sometimes the gamble pays off, but sometimes the losses are so huge that the industry talks about them for years.
Big budgets don’t always mean big returns. The audience’s tastes have shifted, and the scale of a film alone doesn’t guarantee success anymore. A movie might open well on buzz, but sustaining that momentum depends on word of mouth, critical reception, and sheer connect with viewers.
Many of the films on this list had everything going for them on paper, huge stars, big directors, expensive sets, but still ended up bleeding money at the box office.
Here’s a look at the 10 most expensive flops of Bollywood in recent times, ranked by how much they lost. The losses start at over 30 crores and climb to a staggering 168 crores at the very top.
11. Kites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCEv4g4V3VcStarring: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara MoriDirector: Anurag BasuBudget: Rs 82 croreGross: Rs 48 croreLoss: Rs 34 crore
Kites was billed as a global romance. Hrithik Roshan paired opposite Mexican actress Barbara Mori, and the film was partly in English and Spanish to appeal to international markets. The gamble, however, didn’t work. While the visuals and songs grabbed attention, the film’s narrative was criticised, and the chemistry didn’t connect with audiences the way the makers expected.
At 82 crores, it was one of the costliest productions of its time, but it ended up grossing only 48 crores. A loss of 34 crores made Kites one of the first big warning signs that Bollywood’s attempt to go “global” could backfire if the content wasn’t strong.
10. 83 (2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdkC6Kn0IoStarring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, ensemble castDirector: Kabir KhanBudget: Rs 220–270 croreGross: Rs 193 croreLoss: Rs 37–47 crore
I mean Cirkus was close but missed out on the list just about though there is another Ranveer Singh starrer. On paper, 83 had everything, India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup win, Ranveer Singh playing Kapil Dev, and the nostalgia of one of India’s greatest sporting triumphs. The film was well received by critics and even had emotional appeal, but its timing was unfortunate. Released during the pandemic, theatres hadn’t fully bounced back, and audiences were still hesitant to step out.
Despite a hefty budget that touched 270 crores, the film only managed 193 crores worldwide. That translated to a loss of about 37 to 47 crores. It wasn’t a failure of storytelling, but more a case of circumstances and scale outpacing audience turnout.
9. The Lady Killer (2023)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ler71yDWp4Starring: Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi PednekarDirector: Ajay BahlBudget: Rs 45 croreGross: Rs 0.06 croreLoss: Rs 44.94 crore
Few films in recent memory crashed as spectacularly as The Lady Killer. With a budget of 45 crores, it barely managed to earn 6 lakh rupees at the box office. The reasons were many: limited promotions, no pre-release buzz, and audiences simply staying away.
Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar’s pairing wasn’t enough to bring people in, and word of mouth never picked up because barely anyone watched it in theatres. The film quickly disappeared, leaving its producers with a near-total loss.
8. Laal Singh Chaddha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6savS7m0FgStarring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor KhanDirector: Advait ChandanBudget: Rs 180 croreGross: Rs 133.5 croreLoss: Rs 46.5 crore
Aamir Khan’s passion project Laal Singh Chaddha was an official remake of Forrest Gump. It was in the making for years, with large-scale shoots across India. The film carried massive expectations because Aamir had built a reputation for delivering blockbusters.
But when it finally released, it met with divided reactions. Some appreciated the effort, others felt it lacked the original’s charm. Add to that calls for boycotts and a shifting audience mood, and the film underperformed badly. With a budget of 180 crores, it ended up losing about 46.5 crores. For a star once known as “Mr. Perfectionist,” this was a tough fall.
7. Zero (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru4lEmhHTF4Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina KaifDirector: Aanand L. RaiBudget: Rs 235 croreGross: Rs 182 croreLoss: Rs 53 crore
Shah Rukh Khan returned in Zero with a highly ambitious concept, playing a vertically challenged man in a story that mixed romance, science fiction, and drama. The film had star power and a director known for grounded emotional stories.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t click. Audiences felt the story was all over the place, and the novelty of seeing SRK in a different avatar wasn’t enough to sustain interest. With a staggering budget of 235 crores, Zero grossed only 182 crores, losing around 53 crores. The failure was so significant that SRK took a four-year break from films afterward.
6. Bombay Velvet (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmMIQZ1TAigStarring: Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan JoharDirector: Anurag KashyapBudget: Rs 121.5 croreGross: Rs 38.5 croreLoss: Rs 83 crore
Anurag Kashyap attempted a 1960s period drama with Bombay Velvet. The film recreated vintage Bombay with elaborate sets and styling, featuring Ranbir Kapoor as a street fighter and Anushka Sharma as a singer. It was one of the most expensive period films ever attempted in Bollywood.
The problem was that the audience didn’t connect with the story or the characters. Critics were divided, and the film quickly fizzled out in theatres. With a budget of 121.5 crores and grossing only 38.5 crores, the film racked up a huge loss of 83 crores. It’s still remembered as one of the biggest miscalculations in Bollywood history.
5. Dhaakad (2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br1Kr77Lv4MStarring: Kangana Ranaut, Arjun RampalDirector: Razneesh GhaiBudget: Rs 87.5 croreGross: Rs 2.5 croreLoss: Rs 85 crore
Marketed as a high-octane action film with Kangana Ranaut in a spy-assassin role, Dhaakad was meant to establish a new kind of female-led action franchise. But the film bombed spectacularly.
Despite heavy investment in stylised action and international-level choreography, it only managed to gross 2.5 crores against a budget of 87.5 crores. That meant a massive loss of 85 crores. The film vanished from theatres within days, showing how little pull it had with audiences.
4. Thugs of Hindostan (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI-Pux4uaqMStarring: Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana ShaikhDirector: Vijay Krishna AcharyaBudget: Rs 260 croreGross: Rs 173 croreLoss: Rs 87 crore
When Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan finally came together for the first time, expectations were sky-high. Add to that the massive scale of Thugs of Hindostan, which was marketed as a grand adventure with ships, pirates, and war sequences. Yash Raj Films spared no expense, with a budget of 260 crores.
But the film’s weak script and clumsy execution meant that audiences rejected it almost immediately. Despite a huge opening day, the collections dropped sharply. It ended up grossing only 173 crores, leading to a loss of 87 crores. For YRF, it was one of the most embarrassing misfires of all time.
3. Adipurush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scNmYjoR-qMStarring: Prabhas, Kriti SanonDirector: Om RautBudget: Rs 550 croreGross: Rs 391 croreLoss: Rs 159 crore
Few films carried as much expectation as Adipurush. Marketed as a retelling of the Ramayana with state-of-the-art visual effects and a pan-India release strategy, it was one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. With Prabhas leading the cast and Om Raut at the helm, the buzz was sky-high.
But the execution drew heavy criticism. The visual effects, dialogues, and treatment of a revered epic left audiences divided and sparked backlash. Despite an initial strong opening driven by curiosity and fan support, collections dropped quickly. With a massive budget of 550 crores and a gross of 391 crores, the film ended up losing 159 crores, cementing its place as one of the costliest misfires in modern Bollywood history.
2. Samrat Prithviraj (2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-CQdPHyjwStarring: Akshay Kumar, Manushi ChhillarDirector: Dr. Chandraprakash DwivediBudget: Rs 250 croreGross: Rs 82 croreLoss: Rs 168 crore
At the top of the list is Samrat Prithviraj, a film that aimed to retell the story of the legendary king with grandeur and spectacle. Starring Akshay Kumar and introducing Manushi Chhillar, the film was meant to be a historical epic on the lines of Baahubali or Padmaavat.
But it failed to connect. The casting was questioned, the execution was criticised, and word of mouth was weak. The result was brutal. Against a budget of 250 crores, it grossed only 82 crores. That’s a shocking loss of 168 crores, making it one of the most expensive flops in Bollywood’s history.
1. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGzLHNPO4QIStarring: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, Sonakshi SinhaDirector: Ali Abbas ZafarBudget: Rs 350 croreGross: Rs 111 croreLoss: Rs 239 crore
Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was pitched as a massive action entertainer bringing together Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in a guns-and-gadgets spectacle. Shot across international locations with high-octane stunts, it was designed to be a summer blockbuster.
But the film was rejected outright. Audiences found little novelty in the story, and even the scale couldn’t mask its flaws. Despite all the hype and a star-studded ensemble, it managed only 111 crores against a colossal 350-crore budget. That meant a staggering loss of 239 crores, making it the costliest Bollywood flop in modern history.
Closing Thoughts
These films show that star power, lavish budgets, and scale don’t guarantee success anymore. Audiences are sharper, tastes are changing, and storytelling matters more than ever. Some films on this list had bad timing, others suffered from weak scripts, and a few simply misread what audiences wanted.
But every flop also teaches Bollywood something new. If anything, these staggering losses are reminders that the industry has to evolve constantly, because the viewers always have the final say.
Bollywood has delivered its fair share of blockbusters, but when big budgets sink without a trace, the losses are staggering. From ambitious historicals to star-studded spectacles, several films that promised fireworks ended in financial heartbreak. Some tanked despite massive hype, others collapsed within days. Here’s a look at 11 of the costliest flops in modern Bollywood.