Several Bollywood films, having star-studded casts, are shot at exotic locations, making them expensive productions. But so many of these films fail to leave a mark on the audience as they perform poorly at the box office. One such Hindi film, once considered one of the most expensive productions, failed to make money at the box office.
The film is titled Taj Mahal, directed by Akbar Khan, and was released in 2005. It was a love story that narrates the tale of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan. As per reports, the film was made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, surpassing the likes of Devdas, known to be one of the most expensive films of its time.
The filmmakers invested heavily in extravagant sets and grand battle scenes. The cast of the film included Kabir Bedi, Sonya Jehan, Manisha Koirala, Arbaaz Khan, Vaquar Sheikh, Pooja Batra, and Rahil Azam. The music in the film was composed by the legendary musician Naushad, marking his final work before his passing, reportedly. It was even released in Pakistan.
The film achieved satisfactory box office numbers in Pakistan and some other overseas territories, making around Rs 10 crore outside the country. However, it failed miserably in its home country, earning only Rs 21 crore domestically and Rs 31 crore globally.
The massive failure of the Taj Mahal led the film’s director, Akbar Khan, to leave the world of filmmaking altogether. Reports suggest that he quit filmmaking after the box office debacle of the Taj Mahal and never returned to the industry. Remarkably, this film marked only his second project as a director.
Akbar Khan, the younger brother of Feroze Khan and Sanjay Khan, began his career in films as an actor, making his debut with the film Anjaan Rahain in 1974, where his brother Feroze Khan played the lead role. In 1983, he ventured into direction with the film Haadsa where he also took on the lead role.
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