Biggest Flops of Rajinikanth
List of superstar Rajinikanth's biggest flops in Tamil Cinema from 1978 to 2020
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- DirectorP. MadhavanStarsVijayakumarRajinikanthJai GaneshShankar is the son of a corrupt businessman. When his sister is married against her wishes, she escapes living with Simon, a poor man whom she loves. The society strongly objects to this union.
A not-so-good remake of Amar Akbar Antony. The movie was a non starter in the box office. This is being classified as a flop and not a disaster, only because the movie was made in a smaller budget.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorA.C. TrilogchanderStarsSrideviRajinikanthVijayakumarShanthi (Sridevi) has a long lost twin sister Jenny. Both are brought up in different backgrounds Shanthi has grown up in a Hindu rural background, while Jenny is brought up in an urban Anglo Indian culture. Shanthi meets with an accident and gains extra-sensory perceptions (ESP). She starts visualising future and this creates problem in her life especially marriage proposal. Jenny is a rebellious girl and wants to marry Joe (Rajnikanth) to which her father opposes. She comes to know about her true identity as well as her sister. Amidst these circumstances, she challenges her father and leaves the house to be with Joe. Joe and Jenny are quite happy together despite financial limitations. Soon Jenny comes to know that she is suffering from cancer and the treatment is a huge cost. Joe suggests her to return to her father, but Jenny refuses. Here, Shanthi too is frustrated with the fact that people are misunderstanding her to posses divine powers and start worshiping her like a Goddess. She also comes to know about her twin sister. Her older sister Deepa is about to get married, when Shanthi visualises her brother in law would die in a plane crash. Hence she tries her level best to stop the marriage, but her efforts go in vain. She is unable to stop the inevitable. Things take an ugly turn and Shanthi runs away from the house. Jenny wishes to meet her family for one last time and heads to the village with Joe. She meets Shanthi on the way and urges her to take her home. Shanthi and Joe stay out as Jenny goes inside the house, reaches out to her father and dies in Shanthi's house. The family misunderstands her to be Shanthi who takes the opportunity to switch her identity with Jenny. Joe bring her to Jenny's father who is elated to see his daughter back, With these turn of events, will Shanthi ever return to her own house? Will she return to her love? Or She will keep Jenny's identity and stay with Joe, who is the only person to know the truth.A tragedy, starring Sridevi in a double role with Vijayakumar and Rajinikanth playing her lovers. A two hour bore fest where all actors keep crying from start to finish.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorA. BhimsinghStarsRajinikanthVijayakumarSrikanthA sob story, again starring Rajinikanth and Vijayakumar. Nobody really remembers anything about it and nothing about this movie is available in the internet.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorV.C. GuhanathanStarsVijayakumarRajinikanthSripriyaRemake of Rampur Ka Lakshman, Mangudi Minor has Vijayakumar as the hero and Rajinikanth played the antagonist. Forgettable fare.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorP. MadhavanStarsRajinikanthVijayakumarSripriyaRajinikanth and Vijayakumar are brothers whose father was duped by their uncle M.N. Nambiar, who borrowed a large sum of money but failed to return it after his business flourished. Their father is left in a miserable condition and the brothers are separated with Vijayakumar growing up to become a coward and Rajinikanth, a criminal. Years later, when Rajinikanth is released from jail, he's determined to avenge his father's dignity and reunite with his brother in this gripping action drama that will leave you thoroughly entertained. Watch the full movie, En Kelvikku Enna Bathil, only on Eros Now.
A very ordinary revenge movie starring Rajinikanth as the protagonist and Vijayakumar, as the second lead. Its fairly better than the other movies these two starred, but that did not save the movie from tanking.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorRamannaStarsRajinikanthVijayakumarManjulaTwo young people, having sworn to eliminate each other travel with their own distinct goals.Yet another low budget action flick starring Rajinikanth and Vijayakumar, with absolutely no redeeming feature.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorK. BalachanderStarsRajinikanthSarithaSundar RajA local thug and prostitute fell in love and they want to change their current lifestyle but society doesn't let them.One of the first movies of Rajinikanth in which he played the solo hero. Thappu Thalangal was a bilingual made in Tamil and Kannada, directed by K.Balachandar. It was appreciated for the bold theme and Rajinikanth's portrayal as a thug who reforms. However, due to the adult theme and dark tone, it did not attract the moviegoers.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorYoganandStarsShivaji GanesanK.R. VijayaRajinikanthJustice Gopinath and Radha become foster parents to Ravi, the son of the convicted Murugan. Years later, Ravi learns the truth about his father and the circumstances that led to his imprisonment.One of the many below average movies of Sivaji Ganesan. Here Rajinikanth played his son with nothing much to do than dancing with the heroine and a stunt scene in the climax.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorDuraiStarsPandari BaiRajinikanthJayachitraAnother forgettable movie starring Rajinikanth and Srikanth.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorI.V. SasiStarsKamal HaasanRajinikanthJayabharathiAlavuddin, the heir of Magic Lamp rightfully gets its access and he becomes rich overnight with the help of genie. Meantime, Kamaruddin, the commander of the armed forces of Baghdad, has designs on princess Roshni, the heiress to the kingdom, as her husband will rule the land after the Caliph's death. Roshni, however, loves street urchin Alavuddin, and he reciprocates. At the same time, Alavuddin's childhood friend Jameela also loves him, but it is a one-sided affair. Alavuddin and Kamaruddin fight a duel for winning over Roshni. Alavuddin triumphs, but his joy is short-lived as the courtier Mir Qasim, who wants Roshni for himself, kidnaps her and spirits her away. Now Alavuddin and Kamaruddin join forces and with help of genie, rescues Roshni as Kamaruddin kills Mir Qasim..Mythological starring Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth made in Tamil and Malayalam. The movie was a dud in both the languages. Asokan's performance as Alavuddin's Genie was appreciated.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorPuratchchidasanStarsRajinikanthReenaM.R. RadhaBadly made, badly directed, edited movie. Started with M.R.Radha as the antagonist, later replaced by M.R.R.Vasu, as the former passed away, this movie was a non-starter.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorJ. MahendranStarsRajinikanthSrideviUnni MaryA parsimonious Barbar must flee from the Police after meeting with a look-alike gangster.One of the most loved movies for not only the fans of Rajinikanth but for the general audiences as well. After 40 years, people still watch it for the brilliant performances of Rajinikanth as Vidyasagar and for its chartbuster songs. However, upon release, people found it as a dull fare with nothing in the form or entertainment. Johnny received a lukewarm response.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorI.V. SasiStarsRajinikanthVijayakumarChiranjeeviAfter being released from jail, Kaali is in search of Raja Rao, a rich businessman who is responsible for the death of his family members.Made in Tamil with Rajinikanth and Vijayakumar and in Telugu, with Chiranjeevi replacing Vijayakumar, Kaali partially inspired by Sholay failed in both languages.
Verdict: Flop (in 2 Languages) - DirectorI.V. SasiStarsRajinikanthSeemaMajor SundarrajanConflicts and fights between a mechanic and a smuggler forms the crux of the story.A low budget action movie starring Rajinikanth and Seema had nothing new to offer and got sandwiched between some of the greatest hits of 1980 like Alaigal Oivadhillai and Oru Thalai Ragam.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorMuktha V. SrinivasanStarsSripriyaSuruli RajanSiva ChandranA woman travelling on a train witnesses a murder. Later she confronts the murderer. What happens next ?Not a bad flop altogether but it ranked only third among 1980 Deepavali releases, behind Kamal Haasan - K.Balachandar's Varumayin Niram Sivappu, which was a monster hit & Balu Mahendra's Moodupani. However it fared better than Bharathiraja's Nizhalgal.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorR. KrishnamurthyStarsRajinikanthSumanSowcar JanakiTwo brothers choose different career paths. The one becomes a smuggler and the other a policeman.K.Balaji and Rajinikanth came together once again after the super successful Billa.
Remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Deewar, Thee however failed to recreate the magic.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorC.V. RajendranStarsRajinikanthMadhaviGeethaA honest doctor faces off against a dangerous, diabolical gang that contaminates common food items with lethal substances and then makes profits by supplying antidotes.The movie had bad vibes right from the beginning. Malayalam superstar Jayan was supposed to play the lead. Since he got killed in an accident, Rajinikanth replaced him and it got released in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada.
Sadly Garjanai flopped in every center.
Verdict: Disaster (in 3 Languages) - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanS.P.M. RamanStarsRajinikanthRati AgnihotriSangili MuruganA man gets into problem after he witness a murder at a sacrificial ground. What happens next ?A very different movie for the Tamil audiences. Kazhugu, a remake of Race With The Devil did not attract the audiences much probably because they couldn't relate to the concept of hymnotism and human sacrifices. Remembered for Illaiyaraja's excellent songs, terrifying background score and the eerie theme.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthChiranjeeviSrideviA young military man returns to his village, which is often terrorized by criminal gangs. Will he be able to save the village ?The first movie starring Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi, produced by K.Balachander and directed by S.P.Muthuraman. Raanuva Veeran got butchered by K.Bhagyaraj's Andha 7 Naatkal which was released on the same day.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthJyothiSukumariA man and woman in love are separated due to the machinations of the woman's mother. But years later, their paths cross once again.As love stories were being lapped by movie goers in early 80s, S.P.Muthuraman tried placing Rajinikanth out of his comfort zone. With lovely songs and a decent screenplay, Pudhu Kavidhai showed that the superstar can emote well. Sadly the movie found no takers.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorV.C. GuhanathanStarsRajinikanthSrideviSripriyaA young mechanic falls in love with a rich girl. But their lives get shattered after a series of unexpected events. Whether they return back to their normal life ?Remembered for some chartbuster songs and the superstar's suave performance, this Rajini-Sridevi starrer was an also ran. The screenplay was awry and did not click with the audience.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthAmbikaRadhaPonni wants to live a lavish life but gets married to her cousin Kumaran. Her love for worldly pleasures makes her abandon Kumaran and her daughter for a richer man.S.P.Muthuraman again made Rajini act in a complete non-masala movie with Ambika and Radha as his heroines. But this time, it ended up as a tearjerker with a dull story line. Engeyo Ketta Kural disappeared from the theaters within few weeks of its release.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorR. ThyagaraajanStarsRajinikanthRadhika SarathkumarK.R. VijayaRanga comes to live with a family to kidnap their young son while Raju is there to protect him. What no one knows is that Ranga, once a good guy, and Raju, a previous crook, share an interesting past.Another quickie made to cash in on the success of 'Billa', Ranga in which Rajinikanth once again locked horns with Karate Mani, became a damp squib.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorMuktha V. SrinivasanStarsRajinikanthRadhaSarithaSivappu Sooriyan is one man's hunt for his missing family and to bring to book the perpetrators of their ruin.Mukta Srinivasan's action thriller with Rajini playing the lead with Radha. None of MSV's songs were hits and the story too was too old-fashioned, which is why Sivappu Sooriyan vanished quickly.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorC.V. SridharStarsJaishankarVijayakumarY.G. MahendranA man works as clerk in an estate and is very loyal to him. However, when his boss accidentally kills him, the brother of the employee becomes furious and decides to avenge his death.A Sridhar directorial, starring Rajinikanth!
And music composed by SP. Balasubramaniam,
The combo sounds interesting but the film wasn't. After Murattu Kalai's success, there were many movies where Jaishankar played the villain for Rajinikanth and this is one among them. Outdated storyline made sure Thudikkum Karangal became a box office cropper.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthSrideviRaveendranKannan, a small-time bounty hunter, is enlisted by the crooked members of a royal zameen to find a girl to impersonate the lost heiress to the throne, so that they can usurp the zameen's wealth.Remake of Raja Jani, this movie was about kings, queens and their ministers trying to usurp their legacy. A fairly good entertainer with the charming Rajini-Sridevi pair, funded by Kannada producer Dwarakish. Adutha Varisu had a mediocre run and did not do justice to its budget.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorK. NatarajStarsRajinikanthAmbikaBhagyarajA disabled child in a group home starts corresponding with a matinee idolA moving tale about a disabled child, wanting to meet her hero, played by Rajinikanth. This movie brought in a lot of young fans for the superstar.
The scene involving the superstar and K. Bhagyaraj, in a cameo is a riot. However the rest of the movie was too slow for the fun-loving audiences. The sad ending did further damage.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorJ. MahendranStarsRajinikanthRevathiRajyalakshmiMalini loves Veer but he marries her blind friend, Sita. Veer's family disowns him so they rent a new place. Malini's husband forbids her from meeting Veer while a handicapped man enters Veer's life.The Mahendran-Rajinikanth duo were never able to repeat the success they had with Mullum Malarum. Kai Kodukkum Kai had a different storyline but audiences couldn't accept Rajinikanth in this role. This is the first and last movie he played with Revathy.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthLakshmiVishnuvardhanThis film is the life of Sri Raghavendra. From Birth till his Mahasamadhi has been portrayed by Rajinikanth. The film highlights some of the miracles Sri Raghavendra performed.100th movie of Rajinikanth - his tribute to Sri Raghavendra whom he worships. His performance was appreciated but the movie underperformed. In order to compensate for the losses, he agreed to do a template masala, Velaikkaran, for the producer K. Balachander.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorBalu MahendraStarsRajinikanthMadhaviV.K. RamasamyDharmaraj sets up false charges against Ravi, an honest policeman, which leads to Ravi's suspension. Disappointed by this, he tries to unmask Dharmaraj and prove his own innocence.Balu Mahendra who was giving continuous hits decided to make a movie with Rajinikanth. But it ended up as his worst ever works. Even many hardcore fans of the superstar would not know that such a movie was ever made.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorB.S. DwarakishStarsAachi ManoramaRajinikanthSrideviVijay and Priya fall in love and get married against her father's wishes. However, when they get separated after a fight, Priya's father plots to keep them away from each other.Despite making a couple of flops with Rajinikanth, Dwarakish never gave up and went on to produce one more - Naan Adimai Illai. Again a remake. It so happened that owing to the terrible result of this film in the box office, Sridevi decided to quit Tamil Cinema for good.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorK. VijayanStarsShivaji GanesanRajinikanthVishnuvardhanRaja, a thief, and Amar, a goonda, plot to settle in London with the money earned from a robbery. But when Raja gets arrested for killing gangster Sudarshan, Amar's ex-boss, he feels Amar framed him.One of the biggest ever flops in the history of Tamil Cinema. A listers like Sivaji Ganesan, K.Balaji, Rajinikanth and Vishnuvardan came together in this huge budget action film which is a remake of Qurbani, shot in USA. The result was bad and caused a huge dent in K.Balaji's career as a producer.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorRajasekarStarsRajinikanthAmbikaJaishankarA princess, proud of her heritage and status, is rude and snooty towards everyone around her. When she meets a simple village lad, she is initially hostile, but later warms up to him.Rajinikanth's first home production, a remake of Bollywood hit MARD. Maaveeran was a big budget film about pre-independent India and the people being treated as slaves by British diplomats. It was instantly rejected by the audience. Moreover the release coincided with Kamal Haasan's blockbuster Punnagai Mannan and that made Maveeran vanish without a trace.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorManobalaStarsJanakarajPandiyanRaghuvaranThe story describes the struggle of a young villager Kangeyan (played by Rajinikanth) to receive justice for his brother's murder. Manickam falls in love with Mallika, the daughter of Pannaiar. Mallika's marriage is arranged with Dorai (played by Raghuvaran) but refuses and declares her love for Mannikam. Kangeyan gets them married in the village. The priest pretends to have divine powers and uses superstitious belief of the villagers to kill Manickam. Kangeyan, not wanting to see Mallika as a widow, decides to her married again to Pandian, a cart driver who was her childhood friend. Dorai intervenes again proceeding to use superstition again and Kangeyan learns about truth behind his brother death exposing the priest and Dorai losing his lover in the process.Directed by the famous comedian Manobala, Oorkavalan starring Rajinikanth, Radhika and Raghuvaran had an interesting first half. But the latter half turned out to be a sob story which couldn't hold the audiences's interest for long.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsNassarPrabhuRajinikanthDharmathin Thalaivan is a 1988 Indian Tamil film, directed by S. P. Muthuraman and produced by C. Dhandayuthapani. The film stars Rajinikanth,Prabhu,Suhasini,Nasaar and Khushboo in lead roles. The film had musical score by Ilaiyaraaja.Much was expected from the movie in which Rajinikanth and Prabhu joined together for the second time, after the success of Guru Sishyan. But this remake of Kasme Vaade had a good first half, followed by a dragging second half with nothing much to say. Rajinikanth's performance as an absent minded professor and the memorable Then Madurai song were the only highlights of Dharmathin Thalaivan which fell, after a great start in the box office.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorBharathirajaStarsAmala AkkineniSujathaA.R.S.A mafia leader tries to kill policeman Sivagiri, who took down his illegal businesses, with the help of a lookalike. Later, Sivagiri discovers that the leader is responsible for his father's death.Bharathiraja's only movie with Rajinikanth as a hero. The story and screenplay were silly and even hardcore fans of the superstar couldn't digest this half-baked attempt. Much was expected from Kodi Parakkudhu but it turned out to be a damp squib failing to recover its investment.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorAmirjanStarsSowcar JanakiRaghuvaranRajinikanthSiva is a 1989 Indian Tamil film, directed by Ameerjaan and produced by K. Balachandar. The film stars Rajinikanth, Raghuvaran, Janagaraj, Radharavi, Shobana in lead roles. The film had musical score by Ilayaraaja.Remake of the Telugu film, Tiger(1979) starring NTR and Rajinikanth, which itself was an unsuccessful remake of Khoon Pasina. Siva, directed by Ameer Jan, in which Rajinikanth paired opposite Shobhana had an outdated story. with too many cliched sequences.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthSheeba AgarwalChinnijayanthKaalayan is killed by goons. In heaven, he opposes and gets sent back in the body of Balu, who has enemies in the form of greedy relatives. Now, he has to fix Balu's life as well as his own.Movies about Yamalogam / after-life have never worked in Tamil although there were many successful films in Telugu in this genre. Remake of a successful Chiranjeevi movie, Athisaya Piravi starring Rajinikanth in a double role met with a similar fate.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorRavichandranStarsBabu AntonyJuhi ChawlaDelhi GaneshAn orphanage carries out organ trafficking trade with the help of an evil man. When Jyothi notices these activities, she is killed brutally but Subhash, Jyoti's lover, vows to avenge her murder.Made in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada this mega budget film made by Kannada actor Ravichandran became a big loss making venture. Juhi Chawla and Kushbu were the heroines and Ravichandran himself played a second lead. Released just a few weeks before Thalapathy, Naattukku Oru Nallavan was an epic disaster.
Verdict: Disaster (in 3 languages) - DirectorS.P. MuthuramanStarsRajinikanthKhushbu SundarArchana Puran SinghPandiyan is a police officer whose sister's husband goes missing. In order to find him and catch the culprits, he goes undercover.The last movie directed by S.P.Muthuraman, Rajinikanth agreed to do it for free to help the director's unit. Pandian ended as a half-baked attempt although the songs were quite popular even before its release. It clashed along with Kamal Haasan's Thevar Magan and a dozen other movies on Deepavali 1992 and lost the race.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorK. NatarajStarsDilipPriya RamanRajinikanthVelu is not educated; he falls in love with Valli who is educated. She does not love him and falls for Saker-a boy who comes from the city. He uses her then leaves. Will Valli accept Velu's love now?Rajinilanth's second home production, Valli had an interesting story line, which dealt with women's rights and punishment to criminals.
Fans expected the star to play a bigger role, but he stuck to a cameo which is probably why the movie did not fly high. Though critically acclaimed, Valli sank soon.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorP. VasuStarsRajinikanthRojaRadha RaviA stage actor is hired by three cunning brothers of a wealthy woman to pretend to be her son in an attempt to usurp her wealth. Will they succeed in their vicious plan?Rajinikanth was embroiled in a huge controversy, during the making of Uzhaippali, as he got into a fight with the Producers council who issued him a red card, due to some pending dues. Uzhaippali, directed by P.Vasu, produced by Vijaya Vauhini was released amidst a huge fanfare and opening was terrific. However it soon lost its steam and struggled to cross 100 days in a few centers in Tamil Nadu.
Verdict: Below Average - DirectorSuresh KrishnaStarsRajinikanthGoundamaniManisha KoiralaBaba is an atheist who always questions the existence of a higher power. But when a turn of events bestows him with divine powers, he uses the opportunity to help other people.Nothing more to write about Baba.
The failure, reasons for the debacle and aftermath are all very well known to everyone.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorP. VasuStarsRajinikanthPasupathyMeenaStory related to old friends ,after one being a popular actor and other being a barber and managing family.Another epic failure which drove the makers, Pyramid Saimeera to insolvency. They declared a 40 crore loss in making Kuselan and never ever produced another movie. Kuselan, a remake of Katha Parayumbol was more about Pasupathy and Meena, who were completely sidelined in the promos, making it look like an action movie starring Rajinikanth. Even the superstar's portions (which involved quite a few comedy scenes, couple of songs and a long climax) failed to make an impact.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorK.S. RavikumarStarsRajinikanthAnushka ShettySonakshi SinhaA small-time thief reforms after learning about the role played by his grandfather in building a dam.One of the worst flops in Tamil Cinema history. This movie forced the distributors to go on a hunger strike demanding reimbursement for the losses incurred. Kannada producer Rockline Venkatesh broke down in his interview as he had to repay all his distributors who claimed losses.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorSoundarya Rajinikanth VishaganStarsRajinikanthDeepika PadukoneR. SarathkumarA noble warrior seeks revenge against the ruler of his kingdom, who killed his father, and also ends up upsetting the neighboring enemy kingdom's ruler.Crores were lost in this movie which was touted as India's first motion capture. This movie's failure resulted in an ugly war between Latha Rajinikanth and Media One.
Verdict: Disaster - DirectorPa. RanjithStarsRajinikanthNana PatekarSamuthirakaniKaala is about the life of Nellai / Tirunelveli based Tamils who live in large number in Mumbai.Kabali had sky high expectations, due to which it opened very well in the box office. However it failed to captivate the audience and as a result, the director Pa.Ranjith's next collaboration with Rajinikanth, Kaala got a lukewarm response right from day one. Actor Dhanush who produced it suffered severe losses amounting to several crores, and had to close down his production company Wunderbar Films.
Verdict: Flop - DirectorA.R. MurugadossStarsRajinikanthNayantharaNivetha ThomasA police officer is on a chase to hunt down a dreaded gangster to fulfill his own secret agenda.Andhra box office website called it a DOUBLE DISASTER. Rajinikanth's Darbar which also starred Bollywood star Suniel Shetty, directed by ace filmmaker A.R.Murugadoss ended as a damp squib. Released a month before the pandemic wave started in India, Darbar had a huge advantage in the form of Pongal Holidays and also being a solo-release. Yet it failed and became a loss making venture for Lyca Productions. A 55 crore loss claim was made by its distributors.
Verdict: Disaster