Top 10 Bollywood Classics That Didn’t Do Well At The Box Office

The success of a movie depends on the amount it made at the box office but some cinematic gems didn’t do well at the BO. Though, over time people realized the values of these gems and gave them the recognition they deserve. Here is the list of such movies in Bollywood that ruled the heart of the people despite not doing great at the box office.

1. Sholay

Sholay is one of the most iconic movies ever made but, the movie was declared a flop within the week it came out. People didn’t take the new style of storytelling well and the legendary villain of all times, Gabbar was criticized. This movie did however later set the standards for villains and we all know where this movie stands now. The film picked up the pace later and did great.

2. Dil Chahata Hai

Another cult classic that didn’t do good at the BO. This film was a guide to adulting, friendships, and dating handed to us but the public didn’t take it well. The themes of this movie were ahead of their time and laid the foundation of the ‘fun road trips with friends’ trope. It showed again that experimental movies don’t do well at the box office no matter what the era is.

3. Andaaz Apna Apna

This comedy classic that we all love so much today was a box office dud at the time of its release. Despite its star-studded cast, the response from the public was bleak. It took 2 decades for the movie to gain the popularity it has now. The film tanked due to lack of publicity and the different comedic timing, but better late than never, right?

4. Swadesh

Even one of the SRK’s finest performances couldn’t save this movie from becoming a box office failure. This movie had everything – a promising storyline, good acting, and more but due to the lack of glam factor and usual Bollywood tropes, this movie didn’t do well. People went into theatre keeping the SRK from romcoms in mind and couldn’t understand what this movie wanted to convey.

5. Tamasha

This movie became a victim of mass herd mentality. This film gave perceptions and had different layers of emotions; people couldn’t understand what Imtiaz Ali Imtiaz Ali, is a well-known multi talented Indian >> Read More... wanted to portray through Tamasha. The movie had great structure but people didn’t find it gripping enough in the middle and by the end, disliked the movie. But over the years people understood what the movie wanted to portray and got the love it deserved.

6. Lootera Click to look into! >> Read More...

The Indian audience was not at all ready for Lootera and it’s one of the main reasons why it didn’t do well at the box office. The cinematography, the storyline, the plot, the aesthetic, the acting, everything that the movie offered was a masterpiece. The structure of the film was different from the usual movies which made the audience react differently to it.

7. Raincoat Click to look into! >> Read More...

This movie is the perfect definition of beautiful yet gut-wrenching pain. Director Rituparno Ghosh very wonderfully portrayed the pain of two estranged lovers who meet after a long time and reminisce the old days on a particularly rainy day. The movie was commercially unsuccessful at the box office because people didn’t like the way the story was told. People did however understand what the movie was trying to portray and loved it.

8. Lakshya

The film was technically a war drama but was also a coming-of-age movie. Hrithik Roshan Hrithik Roshan with his unimaginable dance moves i >> Read More... gave one of his best performances in this movie but the audience wasn’t ready for another Kargil-based war documentary/movie as LOC Kargil came out only a few months ago. The acting and the plot made this movie a cult classic and it took some time for people to realize that this film is a gem.

9. Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor is a noted Indian film actor. He was >> Read More... gave one of his best performances in this film and if this movie were to release in today’s time it would have been a hit at the Box Office Box Office is a Tamil entertainment TV serial whic >> Read More... . The concept of start-up and going out of the corporate system to do something on your own wasn’t well-acknowledged. People couldn’t understand the potential of the movie and the message that it wanted to convey. People now appreciate this movie a lot and understood what it wanted to say.

10. Udaan Udaan is a Hindi Daily series which aired on 18th >> Read More...

Most of the commercial flops in this list had a stellar cast but, Udaan didn’t. Udaan gave us a story about ambition, dysfunctional family, and relationships. The plot sounds simple but the portrayal was very realistic and talked about issues Bollywood usually doesn’t talk about. The actors did an impeccable job at bringing their characters to life and showcasing their complex emotions. Though the movie didn’t do well at the box office it got a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival.