So far in 2026…No one is laughing their way to the bank!

A string of comedy releases have struggled at the box office in 2026. So, what’s going wrong? 

Krishnan M

What went wrong with recent Bollywood comedies, you may ask. “Perhaps they are not funny enough,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta. Leading Rajasthan exhibitor and distributor, Jaipur-based Raj Bansal, adds, “The audience is simply not finding our films funny enough.”

A one-sentence explanation to analyse such a grave (pun intended) situation? Ya, comedies are falling by the wayside. The writing is failing, and the actors are struggling to evoke laughter.

Too many comedies are flopping

In the first five months and 12 days itself, we have had several comedies biting the dust. Aamir Khan’s production, Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, collected 5.52 crores; Shashank Bali’s Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai netted 1.32 crores; and Ashish R. Mohan’s Dadi Ki Shaadi managed 6.06 crore. There you go, the point has been underlined. No one is laughing their way to the bank. And the children’s adventure-comedy The Great Grand Super Hero, with Jackie Shroff as the protagonist, has managed a pitiful 1.56 crore and is declared a flop by trade portal Bollywood Hungama.

Akshay and Priyadarshan brought some relief

The only saving grace in this period was Priyadarshan’s horror-comedy, Bhoot Bangla. This Akshay Kumar-Tabu starrer is a box-office hit, having collected 167.82 crore. “But even this film was not declared a hit right away,” says a trade source, on condition of anonymity. “Those of us on the inside will say this one needed a bit of a push at the start. But eventually it steadied because films that followed were so weak that this got footfalls by default. Films also come with their own fate story. Here, producers Ekta R. Kapoor and Akshay Kumar got lucky.”

Ayushmann and Varun could not repeat Akshay’s feat

Ayushmann Khurrana’s Pati, Patni Aur Woh Do has not even managed a 50-crore collection in 28 days. The film’s tally stands at approximately 48.28 crore and, with some luck, this Mudassar Aziz-directed movie may just about breach the 50-crore mark. Frankly, there’s too much effort to make because comedies are moving ahead in fits and starts.

Varun Dhawan’s Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, being advertised as his father David Dhawan’s swan song, also opened to a lukewarm response. In the first week, the film has reached 30.26 crore (until Wednesday). And if this is an indication of where it is going, then let’s say—Varun’s charm is on the wane.

“You have to read in between the lines to know who is doing the pushing and heavy-lifting,” adds an exhibitor. Simply put, this sentence translates to: “Not all collections are above board.” Often, what meets the eye is not the truth.