Last week I wrote about Popular Movies You Will Not Believe Were Actually Flops. This week, I bring you the Bollywood edition of that list. It's hard to believe that these movies were actually flops. Check out my list of Bollywood flop movies that went on to become "cult classics."

1. Sholay

It is hard to believe that "Sholay," which is a popular Bollywood movie worldwide, was actually a flop. Negative reviews and a lack of effective visual marketing tools caused the movie to be a financial failure. However, it earned cult status due to repeated airings on TV. The film's dialogues and characters became popular. It was also ranked first in the British Film Institute's 2002 poll of "Top 10 Indian Films." In 2005, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards named it the Best Film of 50 years.

2. Mera Naam Joker

"Mera Naam Joker" was Rishi Kapoor's debut film. This movie was highly anticipated as Raj Kapoor took six years to make it. It was also heavily publicized to be loosely based on Raj Kapoor's own life. However, when the film released, it became a critical and commercial failure. The film was panned for its length and plot. Due to the failure of the film, Raj Kapoor also went through a financial crisis. However, the film managed to become a cult classic.

3. Shaan

"Shaan" is an action-thriller film made by Sholay fame Ramesh Sippy. This movie had the iconic villain Shakaal, for which Kulbushan Kharbanda won the Best Villain Award. This movie also had hit songs like "Yamma Yamma" and "Pyaar Karne Waale." It was expected to match the success of Sholay, however, it failed at the box-office. But people changed their perception over the years, and this movie became a cult status.

4. Agneepath

"Agneepath" is another popular movie that surprisingly flopped at the Box Office. Amitabh Bachchan's experimentation with his voice didn't go over well with the audiences and critics. The film became noticed when Amitabh Bachchan won the National Award for Best Actor, and, hence, this movie gained cult status. This movie was remade in 2012, starring Hrithik Roshan.

5. Kaagaz Ke Phool

It is surprising to learn that a Guru Dutt movie could be a flop. The audiences found the movie too complex, as well as too ahead of its time. Guru Dutt was devastated by the film's reception. However, in the 1980's, the movie became a cult classic. In the 2002 Sight and Sound critics and directors' poll, Kaagaz Ke Phool was ranked at 160 among the greatest films of all time.

6. The Burning Train

"The Burning Train" is an action-thriller film by B.R Chopra. The makers managed to shoot the film with fire and put special effects in the film. However, this film failed at the box office. It did, however, manage to gain cult status due to the songs and due to repeated airings on TV.

7. Lamhe

"Lamhe" was featured among the top ten romantic movies of 100 years, on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian Cinema, in 2013. However, this movie initially failed at the box office, due to a theme that was considered incestuous. Later, the audiences started maturing, and over the years, this movie earned a cult status.

8. Umrao Jaan

"Umrao Jaan" was Rekha's best performance as a courtesan. For that, she also won the National Award for Best Actress. However, this film was a box office failure. It was only when the movie won four National Awards that the audiences noticed the film, and, hence, this was considered a cult classic.

9. Silsila

"Silsila" had all the elements of a perfect film. It had wonderful songs, it was shot in wonderful locations, and this movie was also rumoured to be based on the love triangle between Amitabh - Jaya - Rekha. Yet this movie failed at the box fffice. Later, this movie was considered a cult classic for its treatment of the themes of abandonment and familial responsibility.

10. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

"Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" is one of the best comedy films made. Kundan Shah also won the Indira Gandhi Award for the Best Film of a Director. However, this movie flopped as audiences and critics didn't understand the theme of satire. Later, the audiences started maturing, and after being aired on TV so many times, the movie became a cult classic.

11. Andaz Apna Apna

"Andaz Apna Apna" is one of the best comedy films made. It's really hard to believe that this film flopped. The reasons were the lack of publicity and tough competitions from other films that year such as "Hum Aapke Hain Kaun," "Krantiveer" and "1942: A Love Story." However, this movie developed a cult following among the youth, due to being aired repeatedly on TV. Due to the popularity of the film, Rajkumar Santoshi, the director of the film, announced a sequel.

12. Dil Se...

"Dil Se.." is considered an example of parallel cinema. This was one of Shahrukh Khan's best performances and one of Mani Ratnam's best films. It won two National Awards and seven Filmfare. Yet this movie failed at the box office. Audiences during that time found the film too serious. This movie later earned a cult following among the youth. A.R Rahman's soundtrack added to the popularity of the film.

13. Swades

Another one of the best performances of Shahrukh Khan that surprisingly flopped at the box office. The story had great content, and the music by A.R Rahman and the direction by Ashutosh Gowarikar were also great. Due to these reasons, the movie gained a cult status. It currently holds a rating of eight-and-a-half out of 10 0n IMDB.

14. Lakshya

"Lakshya" is a coming-of-age story with the fictionalized backdrop of the Kargil War. The story had great content. This was one of Farhan Akhtar's best films as a director and one of Hrithik Roshan's best performances. The movie sadly failed at the box office, as it a lengthy three hours long. Later, the movie gained cult status among the youth.

15. Pakeezah

Its hard to understand how a movie full of perfection could be a flop. One of the reasons was the amount of time, 14 years, that it took to for the film to complete. The movie became popular after Meena Kumari's death. "Pakeezah" was her last film.

16. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

"Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" is one of the finest films made by Dibakar Banerjee. The movie is inspired by the renowned thief Devinder Singh a.k.a Bunty. It won the National film Award for Best Popular Film. Critics praised the story and the performances by Abhay Deol, Manjot Singh and Richa Chaddha. Yet, the film failed at the box office. However, it became a cult classic among the youth.

What do you think of this list? Shocking, right? It's sad to see such good films becoming flops, but, at the same time, I am glad that these movies reached the heart's of many people.

If you haven't watched these movies yet, please watch and enjoy them!