Bollywood’s Most Expensive Film, Despite Big Budget and Two Heroines’ Kiss, Failed to Impress and Caused a Major Setback

Mumbai: Released in 1983, Razia Sultan was one of the most expensive Indian films of its time. Written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, the film had a production budget between 7 to 10 crore rupees, a huge amount for the 1980s. It took over seven years to complete, with the intention of creating a timeless masterpiece similar to Mughal-e-Azam.
However, despite the extravagant budget and resources, Razia Sultan failed to connect with audiences and turned out to be a massive box office disaster. The film was based on the life of Razia Sultan, the only female ruler of Delhi (1236-1240), and her fictional love story with her Abyssinian slave, Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut.
The star-studded cast included Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, and Dharmendra in key roles, yet the film’s failure to make an impact was felt across the industry. One of the key reasons for its failure was the use of highly refined and complex Urdu language, which alienated a large portion of the audience. Additionally, the historical context was criticized as irrelevant, and the film struggled to engage viewers emotionally.
Another controversial aspect of the film was the portrayal of Dharmendra’s character. To match the historical context, his face was darkened, which drew criticism. However, the most contentious moment came with a bold romantic scene between Hema Malini and Parveen Babi. The two actresses shared a kiss in the film, which at the time was a daring and controversial creative decision.
The scene sparked significant outrage within the Muslim community, with many accusing the film of cultural insensitivity and religious disrespect. The backlash severely impacted the film’s reception.
The disastrous outcome of Razia Sultan not only hurt the careers of those involved but also led to severe financial losses. It is said that the failure of this film pushed half of Bollywood into debt. Kamal Amrohi, devastated by the failure, never directed another film after Razia Sultan. He had been working on Mujno with Rajesh Khanna, but the film had to be halted due to financial constraints.