Jackky Bhagnani says his family mortgaged properties to produce Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: ‘Nobody can understand our pain’
In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Jackky Bhagnani opened up about the failure of theAkshay Kumar-starrer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and the controversies around it.
When the Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was released back in 2024, it made a lot of noise for its whopping reported budget of Rs 400 crore. However, the film failed to resonate with the audience and couldn’t even reach its break even point. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned just Rs 111.49 crore worldwide in 56 days of its theatrical run. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’s failure was also notable, with several members of the film’s crew alleging non-payment of dues from Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Films. The producer filed an FIR against film’s director, Ali Abbas Zafar, for alleged financial fraud and mismanagement of funds. Around the same time, it was also reported that Vashu Bhagnani had sold Pooja Films’ Mumbai office to repay a debt of Rs 250 crore.
Now, Vashu Bhagnani’s son, actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani, has opened up about the film’s failure. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Jackky revealed his family had to mortgage their properties to make the film.
Speaking about the film’s failure, Jackky said, “For me, it has been a huge learning. We invested a lot of money and I realised that just scale is not good enough. Somewhere, we felt that the content that was made didn’t resonate with the audience at all. The public is always right. If didn’t resonate then I have to go back to the drawing board and understand why did this piece of content didn’t resonate with the audience. I have to take that with a pinch of salt and not make that mistake in the future.”
Watch the full interview here:
Addressing the controversies around the film, the actor-producer shared, “I would like to say that the returns are not even less than 50%. I don’t think anyone can understand what our pain was.” He further revealed, “As a family, we have mortgaged our properties to make this film. We realise that there is no point in saying anything or speaking anything.”
Without taking Ali Abbas Zafar’s name, Jackky shared, “We invested with faith hoping a good piece of content is made and the audience will like it. The honest truth is all of this is noise, if the film did well, no controversy would have happened. It is not my nature to take sides but all I would like to say is it was tough times and it is very important that we should all be very conscious of each other’s money.”
The film, also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, and Ronit Roy, revolved around two former soldiers racing against time to save India from and imminent attack by a vengeful scientist. Promoted as a science fiction action film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan failed to resonate with the audience. It was given the same title as the 1998 film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda. However, it failed to recreate the magic from 25 years ago.
Jyothi Jha is an incisive Copy Editor and multi-platform journalist at The Indian Express, where she specializes in high-stakes entertainment reporting and cinematic analysis. With over six years of diverse experience across India’s leading media houses, she brings a rigorous, ethics-first approach to digital storytelling and editorial curation.
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Jyothi’s career is characterized by its breadth and depth across the media landscape. Before joining the editorial team at The Indian Express, she honed her expertise covering the entertainment beat for premier national broadcasters, including NDTV, Republic Media, and TV9. Her professional journey is not limited to digital text; she has a proven track record as an on-air anchor and has successfully managed production teams within the high-pressure segments of Politics and Daily News. This 360-degree view of newsroom operations allows her to navigate the complexities of modern journalism with veteran precision.
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Guided by the Orwellian principle that "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do," Jyothi focuses on transparent, accountability-driven reporting. Her core areas of expertise include:
Cinematic Deconstruction: Analyzing the social subtext of mainstream Bollywood and South Indian cinema (e.g., Kantara, Masaan, Dabangg).
Toxic Masculinity & Gender Studies: A vocal critic of regressive tropes in Indian cinema, she often highlights the industry's treatment of women and social progress.
Box Office & Industry Economics: Providing data-backed predictions and analysis of film performance and superstar fee structures.
Exclusive Multimedia Coverage: Conducting deep-dive interviews and long-form features that bridge the gap between archival history and modern pop culture.
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Jyothi Jha has established herself as a trusted voice by prioritizing substance over PR-driven narratives. Her background in hard news and political production provides her with a unique lens through which she views the entertainment industry—not merely as gossip, but as a reflection of societal values. Readers rely on her for "Journalism of Courage," knowing her critiques are rooted in a deep respect for the craft and a refusal to settle for superficiality. Her ability to pivot between daily news and specialized entertainment analysis makes her a versatile and authoritative pillar of The Indian Express newsroom.
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