6 Times Bollywood Actors Openly Regretted Doing A Movie

Every movie has its own fate, while some go on to become massive blockbusters, on the other hand, many movies turn out to be super-flops. It’s all about the choices and Bollywood actors are no exception to this.

Here, in this article, we bring you some instances when actors openly regretted doing a movie. Have a look:

1. Saif Ali Khan openly regretted doing ‘Humshakals’ by saying that ‘it was a mistake’. As per a report by the Times of India, Saif said:

“The film was very regressive. In fact, while watching it, I asked myself what I was doing in it. I knew I had let my fans down and underestimated their intelligence. I’ve been introspecting a lot and will never repeat a mistake that was Humshakals.”

2. Emraan Hashmi took a hilarious dig at his movie Good Boy Bad Boy and had said:

‘kuch filmein kitchen chalane ke liye bhi karni padti hain‘ He added: “Good Boy Bad Boy toh aisi movie thi ki kitchen hamesha ke liye band ho jaaye.”

3. Shahid Kapoor once admitted that he wished he hadn’t done Shaandaar, Chup Chup Ke and Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi. Going hard on the third one, he had said:

“I think it was trying to be an international film and we didn’t have the kind of expertise to do that kind of computer graphics”

4. When Ajay Devgn knew that his movie Himmatwaala would be a super-flop because of the way Sajid Khan was making the movie. He had said:

“I thought the film (Himmatwala) will be shot the way Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai was shot in retro style. What Sajid did is he took 80s film and shot it in 80s style only. Himmatwala would have worked if it would have been made in today’s styling and punch lines but it went back in time.”

5. When Govinda admitted that he did Kill Dill because his family said that he will be left behind. He revealed:

“I asked my wife and my children about it. They very honestly told me that I didn’t have much of a choice. The kind of roles I wanted to do were not coming my way and I wasn’t keen on the kind of offers I was getting. My family told me to take up the offer, or I’ll be left behind.”

6. When Abhay Deol regretted doing Aisha, he had claimed that he would never do a movie like Aisha again. He had said:

“The movie had nothing to do with Jane Austen’s Emma as it was reported. When I was shooting, I realised that the film was more about clothes than actual acting. I even read reviews of the movie that praised the clothes.”

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The Price of Stardom: 6 Times Bollywood Actors Openly Regretted Doing A Movie

The bright lights of Bollywood promise fame, fortune, and artistic fulfilment. Yet, for every Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Lagaan, there are dozens of cinematic misfires. Even the biggest superstars, with multi-million dollar contracts and an army of advisors, sometimes find themselves trapped in a movie they wish they could erase from their filmography.

A script might promise a blockbuster but deliver a bomb. A director’s vision might turn hazy on the set. Or, an actor might simply sign a movie for a friend, only to have a moment of public reckoning years later. These moments of open regret are rare, but when they happen, they offer a candid, human glimpse behind the glamorous facade of the film industry.

Here are six instances where top Bollywood actors openly confessed their regret about starring in a particular movie.

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1. Saif Ali Khan: The ‘Incredibly Backward’ Comedy

The Movie: Humshakals (2014)

Saif Ali Khan, an actor known for his sophisticated choice of roles in cinema like Dil Chahta Hai and Omkara, delivered one of the most brutally honest assessments of a film he starred in. The film in question, Sajid Khan’s comedy Humshakals, was a critical and commercial failure, relying heavily on slapstick and repetitive jokes.

The Reason for Regret:

In a candid interview after the film’s release, Saif Ali Khan openly admitted that signing the film was a mistake and a “misjudgement of the script.” He famously went on to call the movie “a mistake on an emotional level” and “incredibly backward,” stating that he felt he had disappointed his fans by underestimating their intelligence.

• The Actor’s Confession: Saif revealed that he went against his natural instincts to do the film. His public statement served as a commitment to his audience and himself to be more discerning with future projects. His reflection highlighted the difficulty even established actors face in navigating commercial cinema’s demands while maintaining artistic integrity.

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2. Ajay Devgn: The Commitment That Had to Be Seen Through

The Movie: Himmatwala (2013)

Ajay Devgn, a National Award winner and box office powerhouse, is generally known for his action and serious dramas. However, his decision to star in the remake of the 1983 film, Himmatwala, directed by Sajid Khan, is one he has spoken about with disappointment. The film was a spectacular flop, panned universally for its over-the-top acting and dated script.

The Reason for Regret:

Devgn admitted that he knew even during the filming that the movie was going wrong, largely blaming the film’s choice to shoot the 1980s period in a dated, non-contemporary manner.

• The Actor’s Confession: He confessed that while he had an inkling that the film would not work, he could not back out once filming had begun because of professional commitment. His comments provided a rare insight into the industry’s unwritten rule of seeing a project through, even if the artistic vision has gone astray. He acknowledged that sometimes actors do films as a favour to friends, but he suffered the commercial consequences.

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3. Amitabh Bachchan: The ‘Black Spot’

The Movie: Boom (2003)

The legendary Amitabh Bachchan, the “Shahenshah of Bollywood,” has a career spanning over five decades. However, even his towering legacy includes films he would rather forget. One such movie is Boom, a bizarre 2003 crime thriller that marked the debut of Katrina Kaif.

The Reason for Regret:

Boom was fraught with production issues and was a major commercial disaster, infamous for its explicit themes and B-grade content, which was far removed from Bachchan’s typical family-friendly image.

• The Actor’s Confession: Bachchan publicly labeled the film a “black spot” on his career. It came at a difficult financial time for the actor, and he was even reported to have apologized to his fans for having taken on the project. This regret illustrates the vulnerability of even the most established stars, who sometimes make choices out of necessity, only to find them damaging to their carefully built public image.

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4. Priyanka Chopra Jonas: The Debut That Fell Flat

The Movie: Zanjeer (2013)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of India’s few global icons. Her filmography includes acclaimed performances in movies like Fashion and Mary Kom. However, the remake of the classic 1973 film Zanjeer—also known as Thoofan in Telugu—is a choice she would undo.

The Reason for Regret:

The bilingual remake of the Amitabh Bachchan classic failed to impress critics or audiences and was a box office dud.

• The Actor’s Confession: Priyanka Chopra Jonas has openly admitted her regret over the film, saying, “We all make errors sometimes. I wish I hadn’t done the Zanjeer remake. I wish I hadn’t done two more films, actually. But Zanjeer for sure.” Her willingness to name a specific film and categorize it as an “error” demonstrated a refreshing level of honesty about the inevitable wrong turns in a long career.

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5. Shahid Kapoor: The Post-Wedding Disaster

The Movie: Shaandaar (2015)

Shahid Kapoor’s career has seen a significant shift towards more nuanced, performance-driven roles, exemplified by films like Kaminey, Udta Punjab, and Haider. However, his romantic comedy Shaandaar, which paired him with Alia Bhatt, proved to be an unfortunate blight on his record.

The Reason for Regret:

The highly-anticipated film, directed by Vikas Bahl, was poorly received for its weak plot and over-the-top fantasy elements. The failure was particularly sharp as it came right after Kapoor’s marriage, a high point in his personal life.

• The Actor’s Confession: Shahid Kapoor has candidly placed Shaandaar at the top of his list of regretted films. In various interviews, he also named other projects like Chup Chup Ke and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi as movies he wished he hadn’t done, noting that Shaandaar was an earnest but failed attempt at a big-scale global picture with poor execution. This reveals how box office failure, especially in a prominent, commercial venture, can lead to intense professional introspection.

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6. Arshad Warsi: The Script That Was “God-Awful”

The Movie: Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002)

While not a lead superstar, Arshad Warsi is one of Bollywood’s most respected and versatile character actors. His regret about the 2002 multi-starrer supernatural thriller Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani offers a perspective on the compulsion of early career choices.

The Reason for Regret:

The movie, which featured a host of popular actors, was universally panned and is often cited as a benchmark for bad Bollywood cinema.

• The Actor’s Confession: Arshad Warsi revealed that he had an immense respect for the director, Rajkumar Kohli, who was like a father figure to him, and he needed the money for his house. He humorously recounted asking the director to kill off his character early in the film’s schedule. His regret stemmed from the final, low-quality product, which, despite the ensemble cast, became a box office flop. This story speaks to the financial pressures and personal obligations that can lead actors to sign questionable projects.

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The Unspoken Lesson of Regret

The career trajectory of a Bollywood star is not a straight line of success; it is a zig-zag of triumphs and unavoidable failures. These candid admissions of regret—whether over a creative misjudgment like Saif Ali Khan’s or an obligation taken for friendship like Ajay Devgn’s—humanize the stars we see on screen. They remind us that for all the glamour, the world of cinema is still a business where good intentions can pave the way for a genuinely bad movie, and that even the biggest stars are learning with every script they sign.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: Why do Bollywood actors openly regret doing certain movies?
A: Actors often openly regret films for a variety of reasons, including poor box office performance, the final film diverging significantly from the script they signed, a creative vision that failed (like Amitabh Bachchan’s Boom), or feeling compelled to do a film as a personal favour (like Ajay Devgn’s commitment to Himmatwala).

Q2: Which film did Saif Ali Khan call ‘incredibly backward’?
A: Saif Ali Khan called the 2014 comedy film Humshakals “incredibly backward” and admitted that doing the film was a major mistake on an emotional level and a misjudgement of the script.

Q3: Did Amitabh Bachchan regret any movie in his career?
A: Yes, Amitabh Bachchan openly regretted working in the 2003 film Boom, labeling it a “black spot” on his career and reportedly apologizing to his fans for the poor quality of the project.

Q4: What was Shahid Kapoor’s biggest movie regret?
A: Shahid Kapoor has stated that the 2015 romantic comedy Shaandaar is the number one film on his list of regrets, along with other movies like Chup Chup Ke and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi.

Q5: What was Arshad Warsi’s reason for regretting Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani?
A: Arshad Warsi revealed he regretted doing Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002) because he needed the money for his house and felt compelled to do it out of immense respect for the director, Rajkumar Kohli, despite the final product being widely criticized.