Kangana Ranaut, known for her exceptional acting talent and bold choices, has been a prominent name in Bollywood. While her performances have often received critical acclaim, her box office trajectory in the last decade tells a different story. Despite her strong screen presence and a National Award-winning repertoire, Kangana’s recent releases have struggled to make a significant impact at the ticket counters.
Kangana Ranaut’s Box Office drought: 31 Films, 22 Flops, and 6 consecutive misses in a decade without a Hit
Out of the 31 movies in Kangana’s filmography, 22 have been categorized as flops. This statistic underscores the uphill battle she has faced at the box office. The recent release of Emergency marks her sixth consecutive flop. Over the past decade, Kangana has delivered 10 flops out of 11 releases, with the exception being Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi (2019), which managed an Average box office verdict.
Post-2015, Kangana has not had a single outright hit. This period coincides with her rise as a leading actor known for solo-led projects, but it also highlights the disconnect between her choice of films and their box office performance.
Kangana’s recent films have seen a notable decline in box office collections, averaging around Rs. 11.5 crore lifetime business post-COVID. This is a dip from her pre-pandemic average of Rs. 15 crores, reflecting the shifting dynamics of audience preferences and the challenges faced by mid-budget films in the current cinematic landscape.
Particularly concerning are the single-digit lifetime collections of her last three films – Tejas, Dhaakad, and Thalaivii. These numbers, while disappointing, are indicative of the larger struggles faced by content-driven films in a market increasingly dominated by franchise movies and larger-than-life spectacles.
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “Had Emergency arrived earlier (on its original release date of September 6), it would have benefitted a lot. The promotions had begun and then the release got stalled. Uss time pe garmi bahut thi film ke liye. When a film gets pushed to a later date, it can get affected. Films like Jersey and Maidaan got pushed time and again. By the time these films came out, people had lost interest.”
He also opined, “How many people of the current generation would be interested in knowing about the Emergency? A Sky Force also goes back in time, that too in 1965, but it talks about unsung heroes. Emergency, meanwhile, is about a very dark chapter of history. Moreover, the scenes are abrupt probably as the Censors toned down the content.”
On Kangana, he said, “I have seen her growth and she’s tremendous. To play the ex-Prime Minister of India, to get those nuances right etc. requires a lot of hard work. She has also done very well in so many films like Queen, Tanu Weds Manu, Manikarnika etc. But there’s more to Kangana than politics in my opinion. She should do different films and not stick to one particular genre. I would love to see her in light entertainers and not heavy films like Tanu Weds Manu 3, Queen 2 etc.”
During the release of Kangana Ranaut’s earlier film Tejas, the statement of Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, that “Tejas is an unmitigated disaster. For the first time this year, the morning show in my theatre got cancelled because of zero ticket sales” had gone viral. Emergency, too, failed to work in his theatre. When asked to compare the footfalls of both films, he quipped, “Tejas ka judwaa bhai jaisa tha Emergency!”
Like Taran Adarsh, he also agreed, “If she does a film like Tanu Weds Manu 3, it’ll open well. The problem with her is that she became a politician. It has now become very difficult for the audience to see her as an actor. Secondly, she becomes the epicenter of any film that she does. She’s choosing roles like Thalaivii, Tejas, Dhaakad etc. Her selection of films is very boring and monotonous. The audience doesn’t get excited.”
He added, “Her off-screen personality has started dominating her on-screen avatar. Whenever the audience walks into a movie theatre, they cannot disconnect between the Kangana who they have seen off-screen and the Kangana that they are seeing on-screen. It’s sad that we have lost an actress who could have done one of the best works. There are no two doubts about the fact that she is amazingly talented. She could have been the Meryl Streep of India. She had everything going for her. The audience loved her. Tanu Weds Manu Returns collected Rs. 150 crores that too 10 years ago, thanks to her. When was the last time a woman-centric film did such huge numbers? She should have let her work speak for herself.”
Taran Adarsh signed off by saying, “You are known by your last Friday and the last many Fridays have not been too kind to Kangana. Nevertheless, I am sure she’ll bounce back. It has happened with the biggest of stars when they take a break and they return with a bang. Dilip Kumar made a comeback with Kranti and it was a massive hit. The same goes for Shah Rukh Khan. She needs to reinvent and recharge. This would lead to curiosity.”
Kangana has always been lauded for taking risks with her choice of films, often opting for unconventional stories and strong female characters. However, the commercial viability of such projects has been a recurring challenge. Films like Queen (2014) and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) showcased her ability to connect with audiences on a mass scale, but replicating that success has proven elusive.
The evolving cinematic landscape, coupled with Kangana’s penchant for experimenting with genres, presents an opportunity for a turnaround. As she continues to navigate the challenges of the film industry, the hope remains that her future projects strike a balance between critical acclaim and box office success.
Kangana Ranaut’s box office report card after Tanu Weds Manu Returns
1. I Love NY (2015)
Opening: N/A
Lifetime: Rs. 1.54 crores
Verdict: Flop
2. Katti Batti (2015)
Opening: Rs. 5.28 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 24.41 crores
Verdict: Flop
3. Rangoon (2017)
Opening: Rs. 5.05 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 20.68 crores
Verdict: Flop
4. Simran (2017)
Opening: Rs. 2.77 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 17.26 crores
Verdict: Flop
5. Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi (2019)
Opening: Rs. 7.75 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 92.19 crores
Verdict: Average
6. Judgementall Hai Kya (2019)
Opening: Rs. 4.50 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 33.11 crores
Verdict: Flop
7. Panga (2020)
Opening: Rs. 2.70 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 28.92 crores
Verdict: Flop
8. Thalaivii (2021)
Opening: Rs. 0.32 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 1.46 crores
Verdict: Flop
9. Dhaakad (2022)
Opening: Rs. 0.55 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 2.58 crores
Verdict: Disaster
10. Tejas (2023)
Opening: Rs. 1.20 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 4.14 crores
Verdict: Disaster
11. Emergency (2025)
Opening: Rs. 2 crores
Lifetime: Rs. 20 crores (expected)
Verdict: Flop
More Pages: Emergency Box Office Collection
, Emergency Movie Review
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