Kangana Ranaut's latest film, Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, a Hindi-language thriller dramatising the courage of nurses and hospital staff during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been declared a box office failure after collecting approximately ₹6.64 crore net in India during its first week of release. The film — directed by Manoj Tapadia and co-produced by Ranaut — opened on June 12 and marked her eighth consecutive commercial disappointment since 2019.
The result is a continuation of one of Hindi cinema's more discussed losing streaks. Despite receiving broadly positive reviews from critics, the film could not convert that goodwill into audiences — a recurring pattern in Ranaut's recent theatrical history.
A Creditable Subject, a Costly Verdict
The film is inspired by the bravery of medical personnel at Cama Hospital during the 26/11 attacks, drawing on the true story of nurse Anjali Kulthe, who helped protect 20 pregnant women during the siege. Director Manoj Tapadia shot the film over 28 days on what Wikipedia cites as a restrained budget of ₹15 crore, though trade outlet Koimoi placed the production budget at ₹45 crore — a figure against which the film had recovered only 11% within its first four days.
According to Bollywood Hungama, the film collected ₹8.09 crore worldwide, with ₹6.64 crore net from Indian theatres and a marginal overseas gross of ₹0.19 crore. Trade tracker Pinkvilla reported the film wrapped its opening week at the ₹5 crore net mark, after adding just ₹1.15 crore across the four weekday sessions following its first weekend gross of ₹3.85 crore.
The Day 1 performance fell behind Ranaut's previous release Emergency (2025), which had opened to ₹2.50 crore on its first day.
Critics Applauded; Audiences Did Not Follow
The disconnect between reviews and receipts was sharp. Devesh Sharma of Filmfare awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising its respectful treatment of real events and its tribute to everyday heroes. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV, also giving 3 out of 5 stars, noted that Ranaut ensured her character never overshadowed the larger ensemble narrative.
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express described it as a gripping film led by a resurgent Ranaut but noted shortcomings in its execution, rating it 3 out of 5 stars.
Pinkvilla observed that while the film's positive audience reception might translate into a stronger run on digital platforms, fans would have to wait longer for a clear box office comeback.
A Streak That Began After Manikarnika
The commercial failure extends a run that Ranaut has not been able to break since 2019. Her last film to turn a profit was Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which earned an estimated ₹132 crore against a ₹125 crore budget — a marginal average by trade standards, and one clouded by her publicly contentious takeover of directorial duties mid-production.
Since then, the losses have mounted steadily. Thalaivii (2021), a bilingual biopic in which she played former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, earned approximately ₹8.50 crore against a ₹100 crore budget. Dhaakad (2022) — an action thriller made on ₹85 crore — collected just ₹4.01 crore. Tejas (2023), a military drama budgeted at ₹70 crore, grossed ₹8.05 crore. The Tamil horror sequel Chandramukhi 2, budgeted at ₹65 crore, returned roughly ₹54.10 crore — better, but still a commercial shortfall. Emergency (2025), in which Ranaut also directed herself as Indira Gandhi, earned around ₹23.81 crore against a ₹60 crore budget.
What Comes Next
The actress, who also serves as a Member of Parliament from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, has not publicly commented on the film's commercial performance at the time of publication. Trade analysts tracking the film project its lifetime collection at approximately ₹10 crore net or below at the Indian box office, which would place it among her lower-grossing outings of the past half-decade.
Whether Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata finds a second life on streaming — as several of Ranaut's recent films have attempted — remains to be seen. This story will be updated as final box office figures are confirmed.