Cult Classics that were flops
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Cult classic movies that you didn’t know were flops!

It is indeed surprising to know how some movies that earned the ‘cult classic’ status over the years were actually commercial disasters at the time of release. What could be the reason for this box office mishap? We never really know. It’s just that destiny did not work its magic for these movies, or maybe it was released in a time when the audience wasn’t ready to accept or understand the craft that these movies put forward. These movies are also proof that art will always be accepted, no matter how late. So, here’s a look at the cult classic movies that were commercial failures.

1.Baby’s Day Out (1994, English)

The critics panned the movie. They thought the story was cut for an animation space instead of a living space. Made on a budget of 48 million, the film only earned 30 million. Baby’s Day Out is the story about a baby from a rich family who gets abducted by three criminals. The film becomes hilarious as the three criminals struggle to handle the baby. Despite poor records worldwide, the film was immensely successful in India.

2. Iruvar (1997, Tamil)

Mohanlal in Iruvar

Directed by Mani Ratnam, Iruvar focuses on the connection between politics and cinema in Tamil Nadu. The film is inspired by the lives of former actors turned politicians MGR and Karunanidhi, though the latter denied any similarities with his life. The long run time and lag in the movie may have resulted in a poor theatrical run. However, Mani Ratnam considers Iruvar as his best work till today.

3. Fight Club (1999, English)

Fight Club starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton has a huge fan following even today. Though the movie earned enough money, it did not meet the expectations of the studio. With bad reviews from the critics and a lack of proper marketing, the film turned out to be a disappointment at the time of release.

4. Andaaz Apna Apna (1994, Hindi)

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A Still from Andaaz Apna Apna

Andaaz Apna Apna saw two lovable superstars coming together to deliver a movie that still wins our hearts. Aamir Khan and Salman Khan shared impressive chemistry throughout the movie. The film was an average success at the box office and was able to recover the budget amount. Lack of proper publicity and tough competition from other big movies are cited to be the reason for the film’s mediocre success.

5. Shawshank Redemption (1994, English)

Yes, this mind-boggling prison break drama did not get the box office success it actually deserved. The film could not compete with big releases of that year, like Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump. But the film was lauded by the audience when it had its television premiere. There has been no looking back since then.

6.Sholay (1975, Hindi)

Unbelievable, isn’t it! This epic movie was declared a flop within two weeks of its release. The director of Sholay, Ramesh Sippy was highly disappointed and made some addition to the music with dialogue snippets, and boom! Sholay became an overnight sensation. The film is still used as a reference to what classic Indian cinema actually means.

7. Swades (2004, Hindi)

Swades

The Shah Rukh Khan starrer biopic is one of the finest explorations of love for one’s nation. We Indians tend to go abroad in search of better opportunities, to make the life of foreigners easy. If we utilize our potential for our people, the country will flourish like anything. This is exactly what Ashutosh Gowariker tries to convey through his movie. Unfortunately, the film didn’t match the taste of the audience at that time and was declared unsuccessful at the box office.

Read: 10 Best Shahrukh Khan movies that you’ll love!

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