The landscape of cinema has shifted dramatically. Big-budget films led by ‘star’ actors are struggling to survive, and even once-celebrated directors are unable to guarantee box-office success. Recent examples include Suriya’s Kanguva, Shankar’s Indian 2, and Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, all of which failed to impress audiences.

At the same time, films without major stars are succeeding purely on the strength of a compelling, well-told story. But not every film is so fortunate. One such recent disaster is a film that collapsed so spectacularly that it earned barely a trace of its investment. Made on a budget of Rs 45 crore, it collected only around Rs 60,000, less than 0.0001% of its cost.

That film is The Lady Killer, released in Hindi last year. Directed by Ajay Bahl and starring Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, it hit cinemas on November 3 but was met with negative reviews from the very first scene.

The film sold a mere 293 tickets across India on its opening day. With minimal promotion, it was screened in only 12 theatres nationwide, and even those had very thin attendance. Its downfall was further accelerated by an abrupt, incomplete climax that left viewers frustrated. The director admitted that the film had been rushed, shot with barely half the script in place.

Initially, Netflix had purchased the OTT rights, but after watching the final product, the platform backed out entirely.

With no OTT company willing to take it, the makers eventually uploaded the film on YouTube.

Earning only Rs 60,000 against a Rs 45-crore budget, it has unfortunately carved out a place in history as one of the most disastrous flops in recent memory.