This 2 hour 29 minute film became India’s biggest flop, took 9 years to make, had 3 stars, earned only Rs…, was rejected by Aamir Khan, Ranveer, Hrithik

One of the reasons why the film failed so terribly was because of its heightened expectations from the stellar cast and the director. Can you guess the film's name?

Written by: Onam Gupta

Published: February 7, 2025, 9:30 AM IST

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https://www.india.com/entertainment/this-2-hour-29-minute-film-became-indias-biggest-flop-took-9-years-to-make-had-3-stars-was-rejected-by-aamir-khan-ranveer-hrithik-bombay-velvet-7597795/ Copy

This 2 hour 29 minute film became India's biggest flop, took 9 years to make, had 3 stars, earned only Rs..., was rejected by Aamir Khan, Ranveer, Hrithik

Hits and flops are inevitable in the film industry. Every year, Bollywood sees its share of record-breaking blockbusters alongside some massive box office failures. However, the film we are discussing today took nearly nine years to make. Despite big budget and star-studded cast, the film failed to make an impact both commercially and critically. It was expected to be a major milestone in both the director’s and actor’s career. But upon its release, the film turned out to be the biggest box office disaster for both director Anurag Kashyap and actor Ranbir Kapoor. Yes, we’re talking about Bombay Velvet.

Apart from Ranbir, the gangster drama also starred Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar. Bombay Velvet was declared box office disaster after it grossed only Rs 43.20 crore. Made in a high-scale budget of Rs 115 crore, the film only earned Rs 23.71 crore in India and Rs 11.54 crore overseas.

Ranbir Kapoor wasn’t the first choice for Bombay Velvet

Did you know Ranbir Kapoor wasn’t the first choice for Bombay Velvet? Anurag Kashyap first approached other superstars for the film, but they all rejected it due to unknown reasons. Kashyap said, “My first choice when I wrote the film in 2006 was Saif Ali Khan. From there it went to Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan. This film has gone around before landing with Ranbir Kapoor. We also tried to make it with Ranveer Singh but we could raise only Rs 40 to 50 crore.” Following the success of Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Ranbir became one of the ‘wanted’ actors for many filmmakers, hence Anurag Kashyap signed him for this film.

Bombay Velvet is a period crime thriller based on historian Gyan Prakash’s Book, Mumbai Fables. One of the reasons why the film failed so terribly was because of its heightened expectations from the stellar cast and an Anurag Kashyap film. Moreover, it had Jazz music which was not something typically liked by the mainstream audience in India.