John Abraham’s ‘The Diplomat’ coincides with the long Holi weekend. However, the film has surprisingly little to no buzz ahead of its Friday release. In an industry where films typically go all out with promotions to build excitement, ‘The Diplomat’ seems to be slipping under the radar. Can John still manage a box office miracle without the usual fanfare? The harsh reality is that ‘The Diplomat’ arrives in the midst of a series of commercial failures for the actor. Once considered a reliable action hero, John’s last films have struggled at the box office. Let’s take a closer look at his last five underperforming films:

1. ‘Vedaa’ (2024): An action-thriller, this had a promising premise with a solid female lead in Sharvari but underperformed badly as it clashed with ‘Stree 2’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein’ on Independence Day. The film grossed just 26.75 crore gross. Despite the star name, the lack of compelling storytelling and poor audience reception caused it to flop.

2. ‘Attack Part 1’ (2022): John’s attempt at a sci-fi action thriller with ‘Attack’ didn’t excite audiences as expected. The film earned only 18.8 crore gross, despite an intriguing premise and decent promotions.

3. ‘Ek Villain Returns’ (2022): The sequel to the successful ‘Ek Villain’ (2014) was highly anticipated but ended up disappointing. It grossed 51 crore, which was below expectations for a big-ticket sequel, also starring Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria and Disha Patani. It left the fans and critics unimpressed.

4. ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ (2021): The sequel to the 2018 hit ‘Satyameva Jayate’ failed to deliver. It grossed 12.4 crore, making it a commercial flop. Critics didn’t like the exaggerated action sequences and shallow narrative.

5. ‘Mumbai Saga’ (2021): Despite its gangster-drama setup, ‘Mumbai Saga’ couldn’t find its audience. The film grossed only 19.2 crore, well below what was expected for a John Abraham-led film.

The ‘Pathaan’ Effect?

One of John’s few successful films in recent times was ‘Pathaan’ (2023). However, its success was largely driven by Shah Rukh Khan’s massive star power and his long-awaited return after five years. While John played the antagonist, ‘Pathaan’ was propelled by the buzz surrounding SRK rather than John’s own fan following. The film became a blockbuster due to the excitement around the hero, though Abraham was praised for his performance.

‘The Diplomat’ challenge

The key question this Friday will be: Can ‘The Diplomat’ succeed without the usual buzz that most films enjoy before release? A holiday weekend is an added bonus, and yet, with little promotion and low expectations, it’s going to be an uphill battle. ‘The Diplomat’ is produced by Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar (T-Series), John Abraham (JA Entertainment), Vipul D. Shah, Ashwin Varde, Rajesh Bahl (Wakaoo Films), and Sameer Dixit, Jatish Varma, Rakesh Dang (Fortune Pictures/Seeta Films). It is said to be based on an Indian diplomat who tries to repatriate an Indian girl from Pakistan, where she was presumably forced and deceived into marrying against her will.