Zayed Khan on why Akshay Kumar-Sanjay Dutt's Rs 100-crore film Blue flopped at box office: 'Hollywood's best action directors were involved...Kylie Minogue featured...'

Time of India

18-06-2025

Zayed Khan reflects on 'Blue,' acknowledging its ambition and star power with Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, but also its failure to connect with audiences despite a massive budget. He attributes this to a disconnect between the screenplay and execution, hindering its potential as a franchise. Creative differences and storytelling issues ultimately led to its underperformance.
Years after stepping away from the limelight,
Zayed Khan
has revisited one of his most ambitious projects—Blue. In a candid chat, the actor opened up about the film's massive scale, what it promised, and why it ultimately failed to deliver.
The film also featured
Akshay Kumar
and
Sanjay Dutt
in lead roles.
On Siddharth Kannan's podcast, Zayed reflected on Blue as a film that was ahead of its time. He likened its concept to an early version of the Fast & Furious franchise and believed it had all the elements—slick action, high production value, and a star-studded cast including Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt,
Lara Dutta
, and Katrina Kaif—to turn into a successful franchise.
Despite its star-studded cast and ambitious scale, Blue fell flat at the box office. The film featured
Katrina Kaif
in a cameo and included extensive underwater sequences, but it ultimately failed to strike a chord with audiences.
He further attributed Blue's failure to a gap between the screenplay and its on-screen execution. He felt the film didn't translate the script's potential effectively, pointing out that even the most visually impressive scenes fall flat if the narrative lacks cohesion. For him, the core issue lay in the storytelling—emphasizing that impactful action stems from a strong screenplay, not just high-octane visuals.
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Undo
Blue was originally envisioned as the start of a franchise, with director Anthony D'Souza planning a sequel titled Aasman in 2012. However, the follow-up never took off. Zayed Khan hinted at behind-the-scenes challenges, suggesting that creative differences among team members may have played a role—though he noted such clashes are not unusual in filmmaking.
Made on a then-unheard-of budget of ₹100 crore, Blue was a lavish production that spared no expense. Zayed Khan noted that the film brought in top Hollywood action directors and even featured international pop star
Kylie Minogue
, praising the team for delivering high production value despite the film's eventual underperformance.
Zayed Khan began his acting career in 2003 with Chura Liya Hai Tumne, but it was his role in the 2004 hit Main Hoon Na alongside
Shah Rukh Khan
that brought him widespread recognition. Despite a strong start, his career lost momentum over time, eventually prompting him to step away from the spotlight.