From Sholay, Hum Saath Saath Hain to Dil Dhadakne Do, multi-starrer films are often considered a major source of success in Bollywood. However, not all films starring an ensemble cast with big names have matched expectations both commercially and critically. One such notable example is the 1980 film The Burning Train, which revolves around a newly launched train named the Super Express, that catches fire during its inaugural journey from Delhi to Mumbai.
The Burning Train: A star-studded cast
Bankrolled by BR Chopra and helmed by Ravi Chopra, the film featured six superstars including Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Jeetendra, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Kapoor. Amitabh Bachchan was also named as one of the lead actors when the film was announced, but he later backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
Besides six major superstars, the movie was backed by a huge ensemble cast including Vinod Mehra, Danny Denzongpa, Navin Nischol, Simi Garewal, Asha Sachdev, Nazir Hussain, Iftekhar, Jagdish Raj, Mac Mohan, Ranjit, Asrani, Keshto Mukherjee, Sudha Shivpuri, and Yunus Parvez among others.
From Flop to Cult Classic
Despite being a multi-starrer film, The Burning Train became one of India’s biggest flops upon its release. Made in a reported budget of Rs 2.5-3.25 crore, the film had a decent opening, but its lengthy runtime of over three hours failed to hold viewers interest for a longer time. The Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra starrer earned only Rs 6 crore at the worldwide box office. Despite box office failure, the film became a massive hit on Doordarshan, becoming a cult classic in the following years.
BR Chopra refused to pay back amid financial losses
The 1980 multi-starrer film took five years to complete, as its production demanded shooting on an actual burning train. To promote this, makers borrowed an actual train from the Indian government. During the shoot, the train and other railway equipments suffered damage, resulting in massive losses worth crores. The Indian government asked for compensation from the producer, but BR Chopra straight away refused, stating that he was already in financial distress following the film’s box office failure.
