Epic Failures: Indian Cinema's Costliest Disasters

In the realm of Indian cinema, high-stakes ventures often lead to substantial financial setbacks. The triumphant success of a movie can be dimmed by its massive production expenses, prompting doubts about profitability. A prime example is Brahmastra, which amassed a staggering Rs 400 crore globally but remained shy of claiming victory due to its extravagant budget.

This scenario is all too common in Indian cinema, where some of the most expensive films turn out to be colossal box office failures. One film stands out as the costliest flop in Indian cinematic history, incurring a jaw dropping loss of Rs 225 crore. Adipurush, an adaptation of the epic Ramayan, takes the unfortunate distinction of being the biggest financial disaster in the Indian box office.

With a reported budget of Rs 550 crore, Adipurush managed to earn Rs 288 crore in India and an additional Rs 35-38 crore overseas, resulting in a worldwide net earning of around Rs 325 crore. Remarkably, this massive production suffered a net loss of Rs 225 crore, despite its worldwide gross earnings surpassing Rs 350 crore.

Critics panned Adipurush for its loose adaptation of the revered Ramayan, and audiences echoed the sentiment with scathing reviews. Prior to Adipurush, Radhe Shyam held the record for the costliest flop, incurring an estimated loss of Rs 170 crore.

Other noteworthy movies that hemorrhaged money at the box office include Samrat Prithviraj (Rs 140 crore loss), Shamshera (Rs 100 crore loss), Telugu film Acharya (Rs 80 crore loss), Kannada film Kabzaa (Rs 80 crore loss), Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha (Rs 70 crore loss), and Thugs of Hindostan (Rs 60 crore loss).