Entertainment / Sat, 23 May 2026 News18

South Superstar's Bollywood Debut Failed Terribly At The Box Office, He Later Said 'Have No Regrets'

Last Updated: May 23, 2026, 13:43 IST1 / 8 The 2022 sports action film Liger was one of the most hyped pan-India releases of the year. ADVERTISEMENT5 / 8 Made on an estimated budget of around ₹125 crore, the film failed terribly at the box office. It earned only about ₹56 crore worldwide during its lifetime run, making it a major box office flop. ADVERTISEMENT7 / 8 Vijay also mentioned that even though Liger failed to leave a mark at the box office, he has zero regrets about it. And a lot of what I do now and in the future has some learnings from the experience of making Liger and the aftermath of its release.

Last Updated: May 23, 2026, 13:43 IST

1 / 8 The 2022 sports action film Liger was one of the most hyped pan-India releases of the year. Marking Vijay Deverakonda’s big Bollywood debut, the film generated massive buzz through aggressive promotions, trailers and the presence of boxing legend Mike Tyson in a cameo role.

2 / 8 Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film starred Vijay Deverakonda, Ananya Panday, Ramya Krishnan, Ronit Roy and Mike Tyson. Produced by Dharma Productions and Puri Connects, the movie released in multiple languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.

3 / 8 The film followed the story of Liger, a stammering MMA fighter from Mumbai who dreams of becoming an international champion. Trained by his mother, he rises through the fighting circuit while navigating romance and personal struggles. The movie combined sports drama, action, romance and comedy elements.

4 / 8 However, when it was finally released in August 2022, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and audiences. Many reviews criticised its weak screenplay, loud presentation, poor character development and over-the-top storytelling. Even though Vijay Deverakonda’s performance and action sequences received some praise, the film was heavily mocked online and was called as one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

5 / 8 Made on an estimated budget of around ₹125 crore, the film failed terribly at the box office. It earned only about ₹56 crore worldwide during its lifetime run, making it a major box office flop.

6 / 8 While Vijay maintained silence on the film's failure for a long time, he finally addressed it in 2025. “I was obsessed with my character, learning martial arts, building my physique to look like a fighter, figuring out the stammer. Everything about the role was so challenging that I completely enjoyed the process of making it," he told Filmfare.

7 / 8 Vijay also mentioned that even though Liger failed to leave a mark at the box office, he has zero regrets about it. “I have zero regret about the film. It taught me so much and changed me so much. And a lot of what I do now and in the future has some learnings from the experience of making Liger and the aftermath of its release. I consider it a net win in life," he said.