Kangana Ranaut’s aerial action film, “Tejas,” hasn’t managed to draw in the audience as expected. Let’s explore the reasons behind its underwhelming performance at the box office.
Kangana Ranaut’s “Tejas” was initially hyped as an exhilarating aerial action movie, but it has failed to soar at the box office. The film has had an average daily earning of ₹1.25-1.5 crore over its opening weekend and currently stands at a total of ₹3.8 crore. As the film struggles to attract viewers, film industry experts offer insights into why it may have underperformed at the ticket counters.
Something Missing in “Tejas”
Film trade analyst Komal Nahta kept it succinct, stating, “It’s a bad film.”
Highlighting some factors contributing to the film’s lackluster performance, trade expert Girish Johar explained, “There are two primary reasons. While Kangana went all out for promotions, people didn’t seem too excited about the promotional materials. Additionally, they didn’t find anything new in the promotions. Everyone knows it’s a fictionalized underdog story. There are planes, but those who have seen ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Top Gun’ couldn’t find ‘Tejas’ to be at that level. I believe they may have sensed that something was missing. Audiences can discern the content’s quality. If it were something else, the film would have at least had a decent start. I think character development and a weak script are also significant factors.”
“Tejas” features Kangana as an Indian Air Force pilot with the same name, flying a jet of the same name, and embarking on a mission with the same name. Directed by Sarvesh Mevara, the film follows Kangana on a perilous rescue mission. It was released alongside Vikrant Massey’s “12th Fail,” which has garnered double the earnings of “Tejas.”
“Tejas” vs. “12th Fail”
Comparing “Tejas” with “12th Fail,” Girish Johar pointed out, “Vikrant Massey is a relatively lesser-known star, but the content is strong, and it gained traction over the weekend. If ‘Tejas’ had solid content, it would have had the opportunity to grow over the weekend, which it didn’t. So, the film’s core, which is its content, appears to be something the audience couldn’t connect with.”
Not satisfied with “Tejas” opening at ₹1.25 crore, Kangana made a video inviting fans to watch the film, suggesting that audiences rarely give a chance to 99 percent of movies in theaters. When asked about this, Girish remarked, “No, I don’t think so. Good films are succeeding, like ’12th Fail.’ There are also smaller films, such as ‘Mrs. Chatterjee Versus Norway’ and Vikram Bhatt’s horror film ‘1920,’ which have performed well among the masses. If that were the case, ’12th Fail’ wouldn’t have performed so strongly.”
“Tejas” received mixed to negative reviews, with a Hindustan Times review stating, “Kangana Ranaut takes you on a bumpy ride through skies and geopolitics.” The review went on to say, “Tejas is a film that soars in action but crashes painfully when navigating complex geopolitics.”
Is Kangana’s political affiliation to blame?
Sources also suggest that Kangana’s “political affiliations may have backfired,” as the audience may not accept the politicization of actors. This could be a significant reason why her various films have not fared well at the box office.
