Audiences Rebel Against Below Par Cinema: Box Office Struggles as One Film After Another Flops-Special Report

Even With Big Budgets and Big Names, Films Fail to Deliver at the Box Office – the Industry is indeed in Crisis

February 13, 2025: As 2025 unfolds, the Indian film industry continues to battle a major box office slump. Following a disastrous 2024, where an estimated 223 films flopped in Tamil cinema alone, hopes were high for a fresh start. However, despite a lineup of high-budget Bollywood and South Indian films, only a handful have managed to create an impact.

Also Read: Tamil Cinema in Crisis: ₹1000-Crore Loss in 2024 Amid 223 Flops

Similarly, Malayalam producers are also up in arms and have threatened to release actual Star earnings and remuneration vis a vis Box Office numbers that their Star power actually delivers.

Also Read: Mollywood Faces ₹650 Crore Loss in 2024: Producers Warn of Exposing Real Box Office Numbers and Actor Salaries

From Akshay Kumar’s ‘Sky Force’ to Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Deva’ and Ram Charan’s ‘Game Changer’, the numbers tell a stark story – audiences seem to be rejecting the same old formulaic films.

Let’s take a look at how the latest films have fared at the box office so far:

Watch Box Office Report:

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Bollywood Releases & Box Office Collections (January – Mid-February 2025)

1. Fateh (January 10, 2025) Ends Theatrical Run with Disappointing Box Office Collection

Sonu Sood’s directorial debut, Fateh, produced on a budget of ₹40 crores, has concluded its theatrical run with lackluster earnings. Featuring Jacqueline Fernandez, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, the action-packed cybercrime drama failed to resonate with audiences. Released on January 10, 2025, Fateh struggled to gain traction at the box office, managing to collect only ₹14 crore globally.

2. Emergency (January 17, 2025)

• Budget: ₹60 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹18.15 Crore (after 19 days)
• Verdict: Flop
  Kangana Ranaut’s political drama, based on India’s first female Prime Minister, failed to sustain its initial buzz.

3. Azaad (January 17, 2025)

• Budget: ₹80 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹10 Crore (global)
• Verdict: Disaster
  Despite Ajay Devgn’s cameo and a historical backdrop, the film failed to attract audiences.

4. Sky Force (January 24, 2025)

• Budget: ₹160 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹144 Crore (global)
• Verdict: Underperformer
  Akshay Kumar’s war-action drama couldn’t sustain its initial momentum, even with heavy discount ticket offers. In fact Sky Force was in the centre of a major controversy;- According to Screen, trade insider Komal Nahta has claimed that a significant portion of the earnings was attributed to “block bookings” or “self-buying” tactics rather than organic audience turnout. According to him, the movie’s actual first-week collection was only ₹40.50 crore, with inflated figures stemming from unsold tickets being block-booked to create an illusion of extraordinary performance. Read on: ‘Sky Force’ Box Office Controversy: Trade Analysts Call Out Alleged ‘Block Booking’ Manipulation

5. Deva (January 31, 2025)

• Budget: ₹50 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹33 Crore (2 weeks)
• Verdict: Struggling
  Shahid Kapoor’s action-thriller opened decently but has struggled to sustain footfalls.

6. Loveyapa (February 7, 2025)

• Budget: ₹15 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹7 Crore (first week)
• Verdict: Poor
  The debut film of Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor failed to cash in on Valentine’s Day despite significant industry promotions.

7. Badass Ravi Kumar (February 7, 2025)

• Budget: ₹15-20 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹7.75 Crore (first week)
• Verdict: Struggling
  Himesh Reshammiya’s action parody had a strong start but lost steam quickly.

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South Indian Releases & Box Office Performance

1. Game Changer (January 10, 2025)

• Budget: ₹400-450 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹165 Crore (global)
• Verdict: Major Underperformer
  Despite Ram Charan’s star power and Shankar’s direction, the film struggled.

2. Daku Maharaj (January 12, 2025)

• Budget: ₹140 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹110 Crore
• Verdict: Flop

3. Vidaamuyarchi (February 7, 2025)

• Budget: ₹200-300 Crore
• Total Collection: < ₹100 Crore
• Verdict: Struggling

4. Thandel (February 7, 2025)

• Budget: ₹80 Crore
• Total Collection: ₹47 Crore
• Verdict: Moderate Success
  Sai Pallavi and Naga Chaitanya’s film celebrated a success party, but its box office run is still developing.

Watch: the biggest failures this year:

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What’s Causing the Box Office Decline?

Also Read: January Remains Hit-less for Bollywood, as Major Films Flop, Will February be Better?

• Audiences Reject Repetitive Content: Viewers demand fresh stories rather than rehashed narratives.
• Exorbitant Star Fees: High actor salaries cut into production budgets, leaving less for quality storytelling.
• Expensive Tickets: Many opt for OTT streaming instead of spending on high-priced cinema tickets and food.
• Disruptive Industry Practices: Tamil producers claim 223 films flopped in 2024, amounting to losses of ₹1000 crore.

Watch: who is loosing Money:

Another persistent issue in the film industry is the manipulation of box office figures, including inflated booking and pre-booking numbers. This concern has been raised multiple times in the past, with even Karan Johar admitting that such figures are often misleading and not entirely factual. In fact he had confessed and said ‘We are all big, fat liars”.

Also Read: Karan Johar Breaks Bollywood’s Façade: ‘Yes, Box Office Numbers Are Fudged’ and ‘We Are All Big, Fat Liars’ About Film Reviews

At Live India, we had also conducted in-depth reports during the release of Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, presenting visual and video evidence of empty cinema halls, despite reports suggesting strong box office numbers.

Also Read: Diwali Deception? Empty Theaters Expose Hollow Hype Around ‘Singham Again’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’?

Pushpa & Chhaava Offer a Ray of Hope

While most films have struggled, Pushpa: The Rule has been the biggest winner, grossing ₹1780 Crore worldwide. All eyes are now on Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, expected to bring life back to the box office.

Until drastic changes are made—including better scripts, reasonable ticket prices, and fresh narratives—Indian cinema may continue to struggle.

Disclaimer: The figures mentioned are based on trends from various reports and have not been independently verified by Live India.

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Bollywood, SouthCinema, BoxOfficeReport, MovieFlops, GameChanger, SkyForce, Pushpa2, Chhaava, CinemaCrisis, IndianFilms, fateh