From Sholay and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to Amar Akbar Anthony and Singham Again, multi-starrer films have often been a reliable formula for success in Bollywood. However, not all movies featuring big names have lived up to expectations at the box office. One notable failure is the 1980 disaster film The Burning Train, which centers around a train named the Super Express, that catches fire during its inaugural journey from Delhi to Mumbai.
Produced by BR Chopra and directed by Ravi Chopra, The Burning Train featured six superstars Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Jeetendra, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Kapoor. Amitabh Bachchan was also named as one of the leading heroes when the movie was announced, but he later rejected the film due to scheduling conflicts.
Apart from the six big names, the movie also featured 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.
Despite featuring a star-studded cast, The Burning Train became one of India's biggest flops upon its release. With a reported budget of around Rs 5 crore, the film had a strong opening, but its overlong runtime of more than three hours drove audiences away. The Ravi Chopra directorial could only earn Rs 6 crore at the worldwide box office. In the following years, the film became a huge hit on Doordarshan and eventually, became a cult classic.
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The 1980 film took five years to complete, as its production required filming on a real train and setting it on fire. To facilitate this, the makers rented an actual train from the Indian government. When the movie was being shot, the train and other railway properties were damaged, resulting in losses worth crores. The Indian government requested compensation from the producer, but BR Chopra refused, citing that he was already in debt following the film's failure at the box office.
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