Progressive Films Which Failed to Impress the Masses

Someone has very well said that in India there are two things loved by everyone, they are Cricket and Cinema. Everyone loves to watch movies because it takes them to a different world. After being grilled for the whole week at their workplaces, when audiences watch a film it helps them to escape reality.

There are Bollywood Films that are Creative, Progressive, and have Innovative Subjects altogether but at times they fail to impress the audience. But what’s the reason behind that? Has the audience changed over the years? Today most people prefer to watch films by Action Masala Entertainer rather than a Film that has a good subject and stands out from the crowd.

Reviews and Box Office Collection are the first two things which we see in a film when it releases but in the end what matter is the CONTENT of the Film.

Here are some of the films Which Received a lot of Appreciation for their Unique Concept and Storyline yet failed to succeed at the Box Office:

Masaan

Despite having an Amazing and unique storyline, Masaan couldn’t perform well at the box office but it received Universal Critical Acclaim and praise for acting and direction. Masaan attempts to break the Social Stigma and Restrictions of their casteist society. Masaan was one of the rare films to be premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Zero

The 2018 Shahrukh Khan starrer film which was one of the most creative films Bollywood has ever made with a different subject was declared a flop and couldn’t even reach the 100 Crore Mark.

The film also starred Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif who have a massive fan following. The film was shot for 2 years and the budget of the film was very high since a lot of VFX was used. 

The film did receive positive reviews but the word of mouth was not enough to push the film up at the box office levels. Well may the audience has changed as the film didn’t have those Mediocre scenes and Drama

The Sky Is Pink

The much-awaited 2019 starrer film The Sky is Pink, which was a comeback of Priyanka Chopra to Bollywood after 5 years, flopped at the box office.  It was based on a real story and was received well by the critics. The Direction, Screenplay, and Cinematography were so great that was premiered at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival. 

The film received many awards as well as many International Awards. Again this film didn’t have mediocre drama and it was an emotional film with a sad ending. This is again one of the reasons why The Sky is Pink flopped at the box office. The Sky is Pink was the last film of actress Zaira Wasim who took retirement from Bollywood after the release of the film. The uniqueness of this film was that it explores themes such as the Struggles and Love of Parents for their children, Grief, and Motherhood. 

Chhapak

The Deepika Padukone starrer film was the first-ever Bollywood film to be made about an acid attack survivor. This film received a lot of Praise for recommendations for many awards. The film was seen as a change in Bollywood as it discloses the unknown side of acid attacks and its sales all over India. 

The film flopped at the box office and could only cover its budget. Chhapaak was one of those films in which the audience had a lot of expectations. The subject of the film was a Sad/Depressing one and maybe that is one of the reasons why it flopped. 

Jersey 

The much-awaited film of 2022, Jersey has bombed at the box office. The budget of the film was more than 100 Crore and the box office collection is less than 20 Crore and is not even able to cover its budget. The Film focuses on the rare Father-Son relationship, Middle-class issues, failure, and rising above failure. 

One of the main reasons for the box office failure was that it was its dubbed version was easily available on YouTube and was seen by many even before the release. Covid Pandemic also made a negative effect on the film and competition with films such as KGF Chapter 2.

Reasons Why Such Create Films Flop at Box Office

Lack of Interest of people in watching a good film is one of the major reasons for a film to bomb at the Box Office. In a country like India, many people like to watch masala entertainer films. Though these days audiences are more inclined toward content-based films but still a major portion of the Population is still interested in baseless films with a mediocre story.

Marketing and Promotions are some of the vital factors behind the success of any Film. A Film needs good marketing to reach the masses. Marketing is perhaps the last step for any film and also the step which is very important and can decide the future of the film. Stars are also used as a marketing tool. A famous Bollywood star like the Khans will have a massive opening but a film with a newcomer shall have an average opening 

 The timing and Release Date of the film makes a lot of difference. A film clash with another film on a Friday can affect the business for both the films whereas a film that releases on a Holiday has more chances to be a blockbuster. 

At times the name of the Film creates a lot of Confusion. For Example, a film like The Sky is Pink, 1920 London does not win at the box office despite having a good story because many people in India often confuse it with a Hollywood film and presume it to be in the English language and not in the Hindi Language.

Written by - Daksh Rahul

Edited by - Akanksha Sharma