Decoding reasons behind Akshay Kumar's consecutive flops at box office
In over 30 years of acting, Akshay Kumar has become a regular fixture on our screens, but the stars haven't been kind to him lately. Post-pandemic, things went downhill for Kumar when five theatrical releases—Selfiee, Ram Setu, Raksha Bandhan, Samrat Prithviraj, and Bachchhan Paandey, turned out to be massive disasters. Let's decode what is not working in favor of Kumar at the box office.
Why does this story matter?
Selfiee, starring Kumar and Emraan Hashmi failed at the box office and could only collect a total of Rs. 10.3cr at the domestic box office till Monday. Selfiee managed to crawl into double figures only at the end of its first weekend in theaters. This movie became Kumar's fifth theatrical release, post-pandemic, to sink at the box office, making his list of flops longer.
Did Kumar expect a repeat telecast of 2019 in 2022?
It's noteworthy that 2019 was one of the most successful years for Kumar. Through movies like Kesari, Mission Mangal, and Good Newwz, Kumar tried to push himself into different genres, which proved to be successful, and in 2022, he employed the same strategy with Ram Setu, Raksha Bandhan, and Samrat Prithviraj. But, unlike 2019, these movies couldn't even hit Rs. 100cr mark last year.
Exposure to more relatable content via streaming platforms
OTT has changed the game for the film industry. With the availability of more sensible content, high expectations were set against Hindi films as well. In reference to Bachchhan Paandey, the film recounts the story of a woman who documents a notorious gangster and then finds love. The audience apparently rejected the film as they could not connect with the storyline.
It's time for content contemplation for 'Khiladi' Kumar
In recent times, Khiladi Kumar has been struggling to adapt to the changing audience, which is leading to more flops. The movie Raksha Bandhan was a stale story, that centered on "regressive" concepts like dowry, body-shaming, colorism, and depreciative views on women. As it was against the views of audiences, the movie was a disaster at the box office.
Is there an Akshay Kumar overdose at play?
Overexposure to back-to-back releases in theaters as well as on OTT platforms also impacted Kumar's box office pull drastically. In order to do a minimum of five films every year, the focus has apparently shifted from quality to quantity for Kumar. Throughout Ram Setu, Kumar donned a straggly wig, which changed from scene to scene due to an inconsistency in his shooting schedule.
