2025 turned out to be a largely encouraging year for the Hindi film industry. Saiyaara, starring two debutants in the lead, revived the long-missing charm
of old-school romance and emerged as an unexpected box-office success. On the other end of the spectrum, Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar set cash registers ringing, storming the box office with record-breaking collections. However, beyond these hits and superhits, the year also delivered its share of disappointments. Several highly anticipated releases, including Sikandar and War 2, failed to live up to audience expectations, crashing badly at the box office. Sikandar Despite mounting huge expectations, Sikandar failed to translate Salman Khan’s star power into box-office success. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the action-drama was mounted on a massive budget of Rs 200 crore but struggled to sustain audience interest after its opening. The film managed a worldwide gross of Rs 182.7 crore, with a domestic net collection of Rs 108.7 crore. Weak word of mouth and an underwhelming narrative ultimately sealed its fate as a flop. Emergency Kangana Ranaut’s ambitious political drama Emergency turned out to be one of the biggest flops of 2025. Directed by the actress herself, the film courted controversy but failed to draw audiences to theatres. Made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, it earned just Rs 22.5 crore worldwide. Poor footfalls and limited appeal resulted in a disastrous box-office verdict. War 2 One of the most anticipated releases of the year, War 2 couldn’t live up to its sky-high expectations despite a star-studded cast featuring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the big-budget spectacle reportedly cost Rs 400 crore to make. While the film collected Rs 360.7 crore globally and Rs 240.5 crore domestically, the numbers were insufficient given its enormous scale. Son of Sardaar 2 Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardaar 2 failed to recreate the charm or commercial success of its predecessor. Also starring Mrunal Thakur and Ravi Kishan, the sequel was made on a budget of Rs 100 crore but saw muted audience response. The film managed a worldwide gross of Rs 65.8 crore, falling well short of expectations and landing among the year’s notable underperformers. Baaghi 4 Tiger Shroff’s action franchise hit a rough patch with Baaghi 3. But that didn't stop the makers! Directed by Harsha and featuring Sanjay Dutt and Harnaaz Sandhu, the third instalment struggled to excite audiences despite its familiar high-octane action. Produced on a budget of Rs 80 crore, it earned only Rs 49.1 crore worldwide. Azaad Directed by Abhishek Kapoor and starring Ajay Devgn alongside Rasha Tandon and Aaman Devgan, this film emerged as a clear box-office disaster. Made on a budget of Rs 60 crore, it barely managed Rs 9.8 crore worldwide. With minimal buzz and weak theatrical traction, the film failed to make any impact upon release. These were Bollywood's reminder that hype alone doesn’t guarantee success. Now, fingers crossed for 2026!
