Bollywood's Biggest Flop? This Film With A Rs 45-Crore Budget Earned Just Rs 60,000
Released in 2023, 'The Lady Killer' never had the chance to build any momentum. On its opening day, just 293 tickets were sold across the country.
In an industry where star power often reigns supreme, box office results can still deliver shocking verdicts. One such verdict came in 2023, when a high-budget Bollywood thriller quietly slipped into theaters – only to be thunderously rejected by the audience. Titled The Lady Killer, this film is now infamous not for its plot or performances, but for a disastrous box office showing that has likely earned it a permanent place in the annals of cinematic flops.
Backed by a staggering production budget of Rs 45 crore, The Lady Killer shockingly managed to rake in just Rs 60,000 during its theatrical run. That’s a return so minuscule it amounts to approximately 0.0001% of its investment. Not even the combined draw of leading actors Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar could salvage the film’s fate.
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Directed by Ajay Bahl and co-written by Bahl alongside Pawan Sony and Mayank Tiwari, the film was marketed as a crime thriller, a genre that has delivered box office hits in recent years. However, The Lady Killer never had the chance to build any momentum. On its opening day, just 293 tickets were reportedly sold across the country. The film’s total theater count didn’t help either: it was released in a mere 12 shows nationwide, an almost unheard-of low for a film with such an expensive backing.
There was no grand promotional blitz, no word-of-mouth buzz, and, reportedly, not even a completed climax. According to sources close to the production, the movie was released without a proper ending – an unusual and baffling move that contributed to its downfall. Audiences, already unconvinced by the film’s narrative, had little reason to engage with a story that simply stopped instead of concluding.
Initially, there had been plans for an OTT release on Netflix, but the streaming giant reportedly pulled out after reviewing the final cut. With no buyers in sight, the film was eventually made available on YouTube, a far cry from the red carpets and high expectations that once surrounded it.
The film’s male lead, Arjun Kapoor – son of producer Boney Kapoor – had faced box office turbulence before, but The Lady Killer marked a new low even by industry standards. Bhumi Pednekar, known for her roles in socially relevant dramas, also couldn’t escape the shadow of this colossal misfire.
In the history of cinema, many films have flopped despite star-studded casts and big budgets. From Amitabh Bachchan’s lesser-known misses to Salman Khan’s occasional underperformers, the graveyard of Bollywood failures is crowded. Yet few have collapsed as spectacularly – and as quietly – as The Lady Killer.
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