The Fateful Fall of Ali Abbas Zafar: How a Rs. 500 Crore Downfall Changed Bollywood Forever

There was a time when Ali Abbas Zafar was second only to Rajkumar Hirani at the box office. After all, he was the only director after the 3 Idiots (2009) maker to have delivered two Rs. 300 crores grossers, that is, Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). Even his earlier two ventures, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) and Gunday (2014), were fine entertainers and hits.

Things went wrong once he moved out of Yash Raj Films (YRF). The much-talked-about Bharat (2019) underperformed and got a mixed response. He turned producer and presented Khaali Peeli (2020) on OTT. It was released on the pay-per-view platform, ZeePlex, that is, one had to shell Rs. 299 to view the film. As per sources, the move didn’t yield the desired results. Even after it arrived on Zee5, it didn’t fetch the required views. Ali Abbas Zafar also directed OTT films like Jogi (2022) and Bloody Daddy (2023) and both failed to entice the audience.

Ali Abbas Zafar, earlier this year, delivered the grand action flick, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. A lot was expected from this Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff starrer. Unfortunately, it bombed and how. Made on a budget of Rs. 350 crores, it reportedly made losses of nearly Rs. 250 crores. In fact, the total losses made by Ali Abbas Zafar’s products since 2019 is nearly Rs. 500 crores.

OTT misfire, genre fumbles What led to the colossal downfall of the man who was once considered Bollywood's golden boy? A top industry expert, on condition of anonymity, said, “Films like Khaali Peeli and Bloody Daddy suffered from uninspired plots and bland narratives that did little to engage viewers. His attempt to direct OTT films like Jogi and Bloody Daddy misfired. These films lacked the energy and appeal needed to make a dent in the competitive streaming world. They were not memorable at all, especially compared to his earlier successes.”

Trade veteran Taran Adarsh noted that his bad time started once he moved out of the YRF camp, “When you collaborate with like-minded people who are creatively inclined and who are creatively on the same wavelength, then it reflects in your work be it Sultan or Tiger Zinda Hai. Perhaps this is a question which can be best answered by Ali Abbas Zafar but if you don’t get the same type of partnership as before, then it reflects in your work. I am not saying that Aditya Chopra is a genius or that every one of his films is a super-hit. But the fact remains that somewhere the years of experience and a sound bouncing board really helps.”

The industry expert continued, “Riding high on the success of Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai, Zafar let the success go to his head. His increased interference in creative decisions didn’t help his later films; in fact, it became their downfall.”

Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst, agreed saying, “I think it was due to a little overconfidence and a little overindulgence. In order to know the pulse of the audience, you need to be realistic as well as grounded. Secondly, the audience’s taste is changing so fast that you have to pre-empt that for at least a year. Because that’s the time it’ll take for the film to be made, marketed and released. Many filmmakers I believe failed on this front.”

Taran Adarsh further said, “In my opinion, Bharat was still a good entertainer. The length was an issue for me. But Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was a film that I couldn’t sit through. I couldn’t believe that it was the same director who had made such wonderful films in the past like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Gunday, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai.”

He also said, “The bigger problem was also the title. Subconsciously, people compared it with David Dhawan’s Amitabh-Govinda starrer and wondered, ‘Yeh kya bana diya’?”

He continued, “If you find a person who is not aware of his works and show him two of his films – Sultan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan – he won’t be able to believe that it’s directed by the same filmmaker! I guess what sounds interesting on paper doesn’t reflect on screen. It was not entertaining and weak in terms of writing as well.”

Soul missing in AAZ’s films Interestingly, Salman Khan, who played the lead in Bharat, even expressed his disappointment with how it was shaped. In an interview with Mumbai Mirror in December 2019, he put the blame on Ali indirectly saying, “I just thought towards the end, the father should have come back. That was my problem with the film. But aaj kal ke yeh new people think that a reunion with the father is a cliché. Father ki age kya hogi? Uski story kya hogi? I don’t give a damn, he should have come back...if we had shown a 70-year-old man and a 90-year-old man having a conversation, it would have been a more emotionally satisfying film. Bharat’s whole journey was about him waiting for his father to come back to him. So, for me, the film looked incomplete.”

One can argue that Jogi was not his space. Action and mass films are his forte and by that logic, Bloody Daddy and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan should have worked big time. The expert commented, “These films were all style, no substance. They lacked soul and emotional depth, which at one point was Ali’s USP.”

Taran Adarsh gave an example of Sultan. He said, “See the emotions in that film. The song ‘Jag Ghoomeya’ is quite emotional and so well shot. People are watching him perform in a bar while he does his famous step! And in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, forget emotions, even the camaraderie between Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff was missing.”

Poor soundtrack Another strength of Ali Abbas Zafar was music and even there, he has fumbled. The industry expert sighed, “Bharat’s songs worked but only during its release. Today, no one remembers the songs of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan thundered, “Most of the current generation filmmakers don’t understand melody. Often people think that the music which is working in Mumbai will work across the country. Mumbai mein bhi Borivali ke aage yeh sab koi nahin sunta. India, meanwhile, has such a vast musical heritage but it’s not implemented in our films. This year, ‘Taras Ni Aaya Tujhko’ from Munjya had such an earthy feel. ‘Aayi Nahin’ from Stree 2 had the raunchy and naughty vibe, which works everywhere in India. Use of rap doesn’t appeal to listeners.”

He pointed out the title song of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan saying, “It was very weak. On the other hand, the title song in the old Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was full of energy.” However, he also said, “You can’t blame filmmakers for it. Certain people dictate that they want fall, loop, etc. so that the song is a hit on Instagram Reels.”

Ghar wapsi for AAZ Thankfully, there’s light at the end of the tunnel for Ali Abbas Zafar. He has returned to YRF and is expected to bounce back. Atul Mohan explained why this will be beneficial. He said, “The big advantage is that Aditya Chopra will be at the helm of affairs. And I don’t recollect any other banner making such big, mass films in recent times.”

Girish Johar said, “YRF is very glued to the times and is even ahead of the curve, at least with their biggies. I hope a good product comes out at the end of the day.”

Taran Adarsh signed off by stating, “It’s like returning to your roots. He’s a wonderful director without a doubt. But sometimes, you lose perspective. Together, he and YRF would be able to recreate the magic. I wish him all the best.”

Also Read: Ali Abbas Zafar returns to Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films for multiple original projects