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2023 was a strange year for Bollywood. Movies with a budget of just $2-2.5 million, such as 'The Kerala Story,' grossed over $38 million.
On the other hand, movies made with a budget of more than $80 million, such as 'Adipurush,' starring Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, and Kriti Sanon, failed to gross $60 million worldwide.
The only good news for the audience is that after almost five years, Shah Rukh Khan has returned to the big screen. And what a comeback it has been.
He returned like Caeser and regained his throne. King Khan released three films in a year, the first two grossing over $270 million. This means that Shah Rukh Khan alone brought in $270 million of revenue for Bollywood in 2023.
All in all, 2023 was a year of surprises for Bollywood, with big-budget flops and small-budget hits.
Films that surprisingly did well
Vikram Massey, starring '12th Fail', was released on October 27 this year. The production cost was $2.5 million. The movie had no big stars like Khans and Kapoors, and the promotion was also low. However, the movie grossed more than 7 million at the box office, surprising everyone.
'Fukrey 3' was made with a budget of below a million dollars. This movie was released on September 7 and grossed over $15.3 million. The legacy of this mischievous comedy has again kept the trust of its viewers.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana's typical film choice didn't let him down this time. Most experts thought Khurrana's 'Dream Girl 2' would fall flat at the box office. Surprisingly, the film did business with $18 million. The production cost of the movie was below $2 million.
'Zara Hatke Jara Bachke', this romantic comedy starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan, grossed over $15 million, made with a production cost of just 4.8 million.
The most talked-about and controversial movie of the year 2023 was arguably 'The Kerala Story.' The movie deals with the sensitive topics of terrorism and religion, and it was a huge hit in India.
The movie did not have any big stars, but it grossed over $38 million despite having a production cost of less than $2 million.
Movies that disappointed the audiences
The movie is based on the popular Hindu epic Ramayana, but it was criticised for its poor visual effects and storytelling. Yes, you guessed it right, we are talking about 'Adipurush.' The movie grossed $48 million at the box office. This is not a small number, but the movie's production cost was a whopping $84 million.
'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan' Salman Khan has given the most $10 million plus movies in Bollywood. Eid is synonymous with Bhai Jaan (Salman Khan) movies, and they are always huge box-office successes.
However, the movie 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan,' directed by Farhad Samji, was a box-office disappointment. The movie had a production cost of $16 million, excluding Salman's remuneration of approximately $10 million, and grossed $23 million. This is a very low number for a Salman Khan movie.
Raj Mehta directed the movie 'Selfiee' but failed to sell tickets at the counter. The movie's trailer was well-received by audiences, and there was a lot of excitement for the movie, as it starred Khiladi Kumar (Akshay Kumar) and Emraan Hashmi. However, the movie was a flop, grossing just $3 million, against a production cost of $10 to $12 million. This means the movie lost $7 to $9 million.
The movie 'Tejas' starring Kangana Ranaut, was a complete disaster at the box office. In this movie, Kangana plays the role of an Air Force pilot for the first time. The movie's production cost was around ₹$8.8 million, but it grossed just $0.5 million.