Since its release on April 11, 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' has grossed only around ₹65 crores at the box office.
"Considering the huge budget on which it has been made, this film has proven to be a heavy loss for distributors and producers." - Komal Nahta (Trade Critic)
Despite being a high-octane action thriller (the kind of cinema that is working well at the box office in India these days), directed by Ali Abbas Zafar of 'Sultan' and 'Tiger Zinda Hai fame, and starring the likes of Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' has failed miserably at the box office. What's particularly shocking is everyone was quite sure this film would take the box office by storm, reviving both Kumar and Shroff's careers. While Eid releases (especially those starring Salman Khan) usually become blockbusters, this film has only managed to gross around ₹65 crores globally against a reported budget of ₹350 crore.
Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff feature alongside Manushi Chhillar and Alaya F in the action film
'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' is a disaster, and there's no sign the film will perform better in the coming days. However, in this article, let's understand what actually went wrong with the film.
In India, Eid is almost synonymous with Salman Khan. In fact, almost all his successful films in recent times (such as 'Wanted', 'Dabangg', 'Bodyguard', 'Ek Tha Tiger', 'Kick', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', and 'Sultan') were released on the occasion of Eid. And subsequently, people developed a habit of watching Bhai's films on Eid.
Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in a still from BMCM
Well, BMCM was obviously not the Eid film audiences wanted. It's not just that the film doesn't star Salman Khan; it also lacks the wholesome entertainment value that Bhai's films are known for. It's an out-and-out action thriller and not a wholesome entertainer that has everything from drama to comedy to action to romance to emotions.
While it's debatable, we cannot ignore that the marketing campaigns for BMCM were mostly ineffective. The teaser came out months ago before the film's release, and it is not a good marketing strategy in today's era. Also, be it the social media campaigns or the interviews, nothing managed to create buzz among fans. As film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi said in one of his recent interviews, "For a mass entertainer like BMCM, the main focus will not be creating awareness; it should be creating FOMO. When there's an Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff film coming on Eid, we don't need awareness. The promotional campaigns failed to create excitement."
(Credit: Pooja Entertainment)
From 'RRR' to 'Pushpa' to 'Pathan' to 'KGF 2' to 'Jawaan' to 'Animal' and more - action films in India are currently doing exceptionally well at the box office. However, you cannot expect a film to have the same kind of fate if it's just mindless action without a good storyline. Unlike the above-mentioned films, BMCM lacks a soul, and hence, it fails to resonate with the audiences emotionally. And what's worse, it doesn't feel 'Indian' as the action sequences seem just replicas of those in Hollywood films. Also, the chemistry between Kumar and Shroff is not that well-developed!
Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff as action avatars in BMCM
According to Trade expert Taran Adarsh, "... the problem is that there’s no content in the film. Yes, there’s a lot of action that is very well executed. But there has to be some content and emotional thread to connect with. Secondly, there has been an overdose of India vs Pakistan in our films. Hence, when a film relies on the same template to woo the masses, it doesn’t work irrespective of the cast.”
(Credit: akshaykumar)
"The humor doesn’t work. The romance is as good as missing. Also, they claim that the film boasts world-class action. Lekin world class action toh Hollywood mein dekh sakte hai. That sole factor cannot draw in audiences."
Well, success and failure are all parts of any business, and showbiz is no exception. We just hope the makers learn from this and move forward with better work.
