Manushi Chhillar’s Three Flops: Rajkummar Rao’s ‘Malik’ Key for Career Revival.

Imagine holding the Miss World crown, then stepping onto the big screen. For Manushi Chhillar, that path has been anything but smooth. After three cinematic stumbles, her latest film, ‘Maalik,’ feels like a high-stakes gamble. Will Rajkummar Rao, her co-star, help her finally land a hit?

The movie, starring the versatile Rajkummar Rao as a tough gangster, recently arrived in theaters. Hopes were high, but opening day numbers were just okay. Film critics are giving it mixed reviews. While this film matters for Rajkummar Rao, it’s an even bigger deal for Manushi. This is her fourth movie. She’s still chasing that elusive first hit. Let’s look back at her journey so far.

Manushi Chhillar and Akshay Kumar
– Photo: Social Media

Starting with a Big Star

Manushi Chhillar won the Miss World title in 2017. She made her Bollywood debut almost five years later, in 2022. For her first film, she picked a big project and a famous production house. It was ‘Samrat Prithviraj,’ starring Akshay Kumar. This historical drama came from the huge Yash Raj banner. Manushi surely hoped for a grand entrance. The film cost over 200 crores to make. But it only managed about 68 crores in India. It was a big flop, crushing her dream debut.

Manushi Chhillar and Vicky Kaushal
– Photo: Social Media

A Not-So-Great Second Attempt

Next up, Manushi joined Vicky Kaushal in ‘The Great Indian Family.’ This was another Yash Raj production. It was a comedy with a good message. Yet, the film came and went almost unnoticed. Reports say it cost around 40 crores. It only earned a tiny 5-6 crores at the box office. This was a disaster, and Manushi didn’t get any buzz from it. Her career was still struggling to take off.

Manushi Chhillar, Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar
– Photo: Social Media

Third Time’s Not the Charm

Two flops down, Manushi landed another big project. Akshay Kumar was back, joined by action star Tiger Shroff. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ had a huge buzz. It shared a name with an old hit film, but the story was completely different. This action-sci-fi flick from Pooja Entertainment had a massive 350-crore budget. It only brought in 65 to 70 crores. That made it Manushi’s third straight big flop.

Maalik X Review
– Photo: X

Can ‘Maalik’ Turn the Tide?

Three major films, big names, huge budgets – and still no hit for Manushi Chhillar. It’s been three years since her debut. All her movies so far have crashed. This makes ‘Maalik’ incredibly important for her career. Sure, her role in ‘Maalik’ is small. She doesn’t get much screen time. But when you’re adrift, even a twig can help. Manushi needs ‘Maalik’ to succeed, no matter how big her part is. Looking at the first-day earnings, ‘Maalik’ becoming a huge hit seems unlikely. If it also flops, Manushi’ll have a tough fight ahead to keep her Bollywood dream alive.