We typically build up expectations for a film based on its trailers, but they don’t always deliver on their promises. Case in point, Sakun Batra’s romance drama Gehraiyaan struggled to live up to the hype created by its trailers. 

Ek Sukoon

Similarly, even after intriguing plots, a number of Bollywood films have failed to register success in the past. 

Here’s a list of films that failed to perform well in cinemas despite having a promising trailer.

1. Jab Harry Met Sejal

The Imtiaz Ali directorial, which was one of the most anticipated films in 2017, missed the mark, unlike the filmmaker’s past projects. The rom-com failed to impress the audience, despite the trailer receiving 21 million views. Jab Harry Met Sejal was made on a budget of ₹90 crores and grossed ₹62 crores at the box office.

2. Kalank

When it came to the storyline, the period drama, which had everything from a hefty budget to a superb cast, fell short. The film was released amid much fanfare, with the trailer garnering 37 million views. Kalankwhich had a budget of around ₹137 crores, only earned ₹80 crores in the domestic market.

3. Thugs of Hindostan

Thugs of Hindostan, which was touted as a major milestone in Indian cinema, bombed at the box office. The period drama starring Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan was made on a colossal budget of ₹300 crores. Remarkably, the film’s trailer has received 111 million views on YouTube. However, it was only able to raise ₹151 crores from the market.

4. Zero

The Aanand L Rai sci-fi drama was reportedly made on a budget of ₹200 crores, and the trailer, with 123 million views on YouTube, piqued the interest of the audience. Disappointingly, the Shah Rukh Khans starrer wasn’t the biggest crowd-puller and collected only ₹90.28 crores.

5. Jagga Jasoos

Jagga Jasoos, directed by Anurag Basu, may one day be included in a list of films that were ahead of their time, but it failed to impress viewers in the year of release. The trailer for the film received 10 million views, which was made on a budget of ₹131 crores. But the box office collection for the film merely reached ₹53 crores.

6. Rangoon

The period drama’s trailer earned 18 million views because of its impressive ensemble, which includes Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan, and Shahid Kapoor, as well as its engaging plot. The 2017 release, which was made on a budget of ₹61 crores, tanked at the box office, grossing only ₹20.68 crores.

7. Roy

The trailer for the highly anticipated 2015 film has received 9.4 million views. The romantic drama starring Ranbir Kapoor had a budget of ₹50 crores but only earned ₹44.52 crores in India.

8. Mohenjo Daro

The film’s initial budget was ₹150 crore, but it reportedly ended up costing over twice that much. Although the historical fiction film has just 17 million views on YouTube, the plot seemed to be engaging. In the domestic market, however, the Hrithik Roshan starrer only earned ₹58 crores.

9. 2.0

Owing to the popularity of its prequel, the Rajinikanth-starrer was met with great hopes from both the filmmakers and the audience. Reportedly, the overall budget of 2.0 was ₹400 crores and the trailer also gained 92 million views on YouTube. But the film fell short at the box office and generated nearly ₹185 crores.

10. Saaho

Saaho, the action thriller starring Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor, had a budget of ₹350 crores. The film’s trailer too has received 102 million views, making it one of the biggest movies of 2019. However, when it comes to box office revenue, it only made nearly ₹148 crores.

11. Bell Bottom

The Akshay Kumar starrer was one of the most hyped projects of 2021, with 52 million views on its trailer. According to reports, despite having a massive budget of ₹168 crores, the action thriller only managed to earn ₹32 crores at the box office.

So, just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, we can say the same thing about trailers when it comes to movies.

Also read: ‘RRR’ & 9 Other Films That Had The Fastest Entry Into The ₹200 Crore Club