Shah Rukh Khan's biggest flop earned only Rs 8 crore, was India's most expensive film, co-star was jailed, director died

Shah Rukh Khan is the biggest box office draw in Indian cinema right now. He returned to the big screen in 2023 after a four-year gap and still delivered two all-time blockbusters. And Shah Rukh has had this aura of superstardom for close to three decades, ever since it began with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, his first huge solo blockbuster. But the same year, Shah Rukh also gave his biggest flop ever, a film that

Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest flop, which was also India’s most expensive film

In 1995, Shah Rukh had seven releases. These included blockbusters like DDLJ and Karan Arjun, as well as flops like Zamana Deewana and Guddu. But it was the final release of the year for the actor that hurt his box office prospects the most. The film was Mukul S Anand’s Trimurti. Made on a budget of Rs 11 crore, it was India’s most expensive film at the time, beating Ajooba and Shanti Kranti, and held the record till Kamal Haasan’s Indian broke it with a Rs 15-crore production budget. But the film was a disappointment at the box office, earning only Rs 8 crore net in India. This is despite the fact that Trimurti had a record opening, becoming the first Indian film to earn Rs 1 crore in a day. But bad reviews and negative word of mouth meant it nosedived after the opening weekend itself.

Triumrti’s various woes, during and after shoot

Trimurti was a tale of revenge, starring Shah Rukh, Jackie Shroff, and Anil Kapoor as three brothers, along with Priya Tendulkar and Mohan Agashe in pivotal roles. However, the film began filming with Sanjay Dutt instead of Anil as the original cast. But after Dutt was jailed in an illegal weapons case, the project was stalled. The actor had already shot several scenes. Anil Kapoor was brought on board as replacement by produce Subhash Ghai and the release date was postponed from December 1994 to December 1995. However production delays led to an inflated budget and diminished buzz for the film.

Director Mukul Anand’s life after Triumrti

Mukul Anand, the film’s director, had made his debut in 1983 with the Gujarati film Kanku Ni Kimat, before venturing into Bollywood the following year. Over the next decade, he directed nine more films, including Hum, Agneepath, and Khuda Gawah, all starring Amitabh Bachchan. Triumrti was his biggest film, and sadly his final film as a director too. He produced two more films – Army and Prithvi, before attempting to return to direction with Dus, starring Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. However, in September 1997, he died of a heart attack at age 45, leaving the film unfinished.