India’s Costliest Diwali Flop: When Empty Theatres Demanded Refunds and A Superstar Issued an Apology

November 1, 2024: Diwali, known as the biggest festive season in India, is usually reserved for Bollywood’s most awaited and grand releases. It’s the time when top stars aim to dominate the box office, banking on the holiday crowd. While many of these Diwali releases turn out to be massive successes, there have been instances where big-budget films failed despite the hype. One such memorable flop happened just six years ago, leaving audiences, exhibitors, and even the film’s lead actor stunned.

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In November 2018, Thugs of Hindostan, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, hit theatres as India’s most expensive film to date, with a production budget of around ₹300 crore.

With the star power of Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Katrina Kaif, expectations were sky-high, and the film needed to gross over ₹500 crore domestically to break even. The opening day looked promising, with Thugs setting a record by collecting ₹52 crore. However, the initial excitement soon gave way to disappointment, as harsh reviews and negative word-of-mouth spread rapidly. By day four, the daily earnings had dropped to ₹6 crore, and the collections dwindled further in the following days. Ultimately, the film closed its run with a net of ₹151 crore in India and ₹322 crore worldwide—far from its break-even point.

As the box office plummeted, theatre owners and exhibitors began pointing fingers at the film’s producers, Yash Raj Films, and Aamir Khan. Many theatre owners, facing significant losses, even demanded refunds from the studio. “The studio had taken on the distribution responsibilities. We signed a minimum-guarantee deal expecting profits from the big-budget film, but it backfired. We’re now looking to approach YRF and hope Aamir and Amitabh will help us, or some theatres might have to shut down,” an exhibitor told Mid-Day.

Amid the backlash, Aamir Khan stepped forward and took full responsibility for the film’s failure. Known for his successful track record, the actor was disheartened by the movie’s reception and expressed his regret to fans.

In a 2019 interview with Hindustan Times, Aamir shared, “I’ve always felt responsible for my work, but it’s been almost two decades since I had a film that didn’t perform well. Thugs of Hindostan was highly anticipated, and I was hurt that we didn’t meet those expectations. I felt it was important to apologise to fans for not delivering.”