Looking Back 2025: Sikandar, Nadaniyaan And Other Films That Fell Flat

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that a big star, a franchise tag or even massive budgets don’t guarantee a good cinematic experience. This year delivered its fair share of disappointments — films that didn’t just fall short but actively spoiled the mood. From careless performances to noisy VFX and scripts that made little sense, these titles ended up becoming cautionary tales rather than crowd-pleasers.

Here’s a look at the films that, unfortunately, stood out for all the wrong reasons.

Sikandar

Salman Khan’s Sikandar comfortably tops the list of 2025’s weakest films. It felt as though the superstar wasn’t particularly invested in the performance, while the film itself seemed more like a rushed assembly of ideas than a coherent narrative. Even the makers later admitted that the project had issues. Fans are now hoping that Salman Khan redeems himself with a stronger comeback in Battle of Galwan.

Nadaaniyan

Few expected Netflix to stumble this badly. Nadaaniyan turned into a meme-worthy disaster, with Ibrahim Ali Khan’s much-talked-about “Greater Noida” outing falling completely flat. Both Ibrahim and Khushi Kapoor were heavily trolled for their performances, and the film unintentionally set a new benchmark for how not to launch young stars.

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins

Watching this film felt like a strange competition between Saif Ali Khan and his son over who could deliver the weaker project. Despite the grand title, Jewel Thief played out more like a petty theft story. Even Jaideep Ahlawat, usually a reliable performer, couldn’t save this uninspired heist drama.

Badass Ravikumar

Was it a film, a parody, or something else entirely? Badass Ravikumar left audiences confused. Himesh Reshammiya ended up becoming the biggest punchline, turning both himself and the idea of cinema into a joke with this over-the-top misfire.

Mastiii 4

Calling this a “bad film” would be unfair to genuinely bad films. After Deewaniyat, Milap Zaveri replaced the promised madness with sheer boredom. Neither adult nor comedy, Mastiii 4 felt like an awkward misfire that ended up mocking the very genre it tried to belong to.

War 2

Despite the star power of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, War 2 turned out to be a massive letdown. The VFX looked like they were lifted from a mobile app, and the story had neither direction nor logic. It also dulled the sheen Yash Raj Films had earned earlier, undoing goodwill built by films like Saiyaara.

Azaad

Designed as a launchpad for Ajay Devgn’s nephew Aaman Devgan and Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha, Azaad ended up being memorable for the wrong reasons. Ironically, the most convincing performance in the film came from a horse. Everything else fell painfully short.

Daaku Maharaaj

The film seemed to exist solely so Urvashi Rautela could claim credit for its supposed ₹100-crore collection. Beyond that, there was little — if anything — worth discussing. The narrative, performances and execution all failed to leave an impression.

Akhanda 2

What should have been a high-octane sequel turned into a messy spectacle. Akhanda 2 drew criticism for making a mockery of faith, coupled with VFX so poor that even a green screen would feel embarrassed. As for Balakrishna’s performance, it’s best left unsaid.

Kanguva

Suriya’s much-hyped film proved to be a sensory assault rather than an epic. The background score was so loud it sent viewers searching for ENT specialists, while the film itself remained emotionally flat. A confusing story only added to the disappointment.

Retro

Suriya’s second entry on this list didn’t fare any better. Retro packed in more subplots than a daily soap but delivered less entertainment than a short Instagram reel. The cluttered narrative left audiences exhausted instead of engaged.

Good Bad Ugly

The only “good” thing about this film was its title. Everything else was thoroughly bad and painfully ugly. For Ajith Kumar, this film now ranks uncomfortably high among the weakest projects of his career.