Shanti Kranti: How a Star-Studded Film Became a Box Office Flop

In India, the term “pan-India” describes films that everyone can enjoy, but this idea wasn’t new. Even before the term came up, many films aimed for a national audience. Some did really well at the box office, while others didn’t. One of those movies was Shanti Kranti, released in 1991. It was a big flop, costing the filmmaker everything he had.

The movie’s creator, V. Ravichandran, a well-known Kannada actor and director, had a big dream in 1988. He wanted to make a movie that all Indians could watch and enjoy, so he decided to make Shanti Kranti in four languages: Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi. He wrote, directed, and produced the film himself. The Kannada version showcased his talent, while the Telugu version starred Nagarjuna. The famous actor Rajinikanth took the leading role in the Tamil and Hindi versions. Other popular names like Juhi Chawla and Khushbu also played important parts.

The film cost a whopping ₹10 crore to make, which made it the most expensive Indian film at that time! This broke the previous record held by a movie called Ajooba, which was made for ₹8 crore.

Shanti Kranti was first released in September 1991 in Kannada and Telugu. The Tamil and Hindi versions came out two weeks later. But to everyone’s surprise, the movie did not do well. It was a huge disaster at the box office, failing to attract enough crowds in any language. In total, it earned only ₹8 crore, which was not even enough to cover the costs. The expenses for advertising added more pressure, making it the biggest movie flop in India at that time.

The Impact on Ravichandran

Ravichandran invested all his savings into Shanti Kranti, even borrowing a big piece of land to shoot a crucial scene. He also spent a lot on special effects and huge sets. Sadly, he lost around ₹10 crore during the making and release of the film. It put him in a tough spot financially, and he ended up going bankrupt. To make ends meet, Ravichandran had to rely on remaking successful Tamil and Telugu films. These remakes helped him rebuild his career later in the 90s.