Year Ender 2025: Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency to Hrithik Roshan’s War 2, Indian films that crashed at the box office

A look back at 2025’s biggest box-office disappointments, films that arrived with noise but exited without impact.

As 2025 draws to a close, the box office paints a mixed picture for Indian cinema. While a few films soared, many high-profile releases stumbled despite massive budgets, star-studded casts, and aggressive promotions. Here’s a recap of the films that couldn’t convert buzz into business and ended up on the year’s flop list.

List of films disappointed despite high expectations

Emergency

Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, delayed repeatedly due to censor issues, opened with curiosity but couldn’t hold its ground. Made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, the political drama collected only Rs 17 crore in India and Rs 22.5 crore worldwide, placing it firmly in the flop category.

Son of Sardaar 2

Ajay Devgn’s sequel, which returned with a bigger cast, including Mrunal Thakur and Ravi Kishan, failed to recreate the charm of its predecessor. The film spent Rs 100 crore but earned just Rs 44.9 crore in India and Rs 65.8 crore globally.

Dhadak 2

With censorship battles and controversies overshadowing its release, Dhadak 2 had a rocky start. The film, mounted on Rs 45 crore, managed only Rs 22.5 crore domestically.

Maalik

Rajkummar Rao’s gangster drama failed to find an audience. Budgeted at Rs 50 crore, it collected merely Rs 23.5 crore in India.

Which big-budget titles collapsed unexpectedly?

Game Changer

One of the year’s most expensive films, Game Changer, featuring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, carried a mammoth budget of Rs 400–450 crore. However, its collection remained between Rs 131–178 crore, making it one of 2025’s biggest losses.

War 2

Despite being a marquee franchise film with a Rs 400 crore budget, War 2 clocked only Rs 240.5 crore in India, failing to recover its investment even with overseas earnings.

Sikandar

Salman Khan’s Eid release, expected to be a crowd magnet, ended with mixed reactions. Made for Rs 200 crore, it earned Rs 108.7 crore in India and Rs 182.7 crore worldwide, far below expectations.

Which smaller films also failed to leave a mark?

Titles like Fateh (Rs 30 crore budget; Rs 12.7 crore India), Azaad (Rs 60 crore budget; Rs 6.8 crore India), Loveyapa (Rs 35 crore budget; Rs 6.9 crore India), Maa (Rs 50 crore budget; Rs 35.9 crore India), Deva (Rs 55 crore budget; Rs 35.1 crore India), and Mere Husband Ki Biwi (Rs 40 crore budget; Rs 11.8 crore worldwide) also struggled to stay afloat.