Due to ill planning, we have reached a situation wherein either there are too many films releasing in a week or no release for weeks altogether. The latter situation is going on right now and a similar dry period was also seen in April-May 2024. As an experiment, the theatres released Rockstar in the summer and it ended up running in cinemas for many weeks. Laila Majnu (2018)’s performance shocked everyone. It had earned a paltry Rs. 2.89 crores when it was originally released. In 5 weeks of its re-release, however, it has earned more than Rs. 8 crores and might cross the Rs. 10 crore mark. Recently, the R Madhavan-Dia Mirza starrer Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein got a re-release. In 2001, the Pooja Entertainment production had earned Rs. 5.52 crores. Looking at the way it’s trending, it won’t be a surprise if this musical entertainer manages to cross its original lifetime collections, just like Laila Majnu.
Trade experts excited as Laila Majnu, in its re-release, collects more than its lifetime earnings in the original run with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein to follow suit; stress the need to bring back mass films: “If Dabangg or Om Shanti Om re-release, dekho kya DHAMAKA hoga”
We asked trade experts and exhibitors on this trend and why these films are finding an audience. Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “Firstly, it’s not a new trend. I have seen it in the 1970s, 80s and 90s when it was a regular affair. Films like Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony, Gunga Jumna, Mughal-E-Azam etc. used to be re-released frequently. My father, who was a distributor, had also bought the rights to re-release several hits. Randhir Kapoor told me that Mera Naam Joker (1970), which was a disaster when it was released, made a lot of money during the repeat runs. With the advent of satellite and digital, this trend took a backseat because everything is now available in your home. Why would anyone spend money to watch it? But with the scarcity of new releases, older titles are getting showcasing in theatres. It’s a positive sign.”
Taran Adarsh continued, “I remember telling Imtiaz Ali after watching Laila Majnu in 2018 that it’s a beautiful film. Unfortunately, it did not get the due, which it got now. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, on the other hand, has cultivated a fan base over a period of time. It often happens that the film doesn’t get appreciation or people don’t see it due to a wrong release period or some factor. If this film has merit, it can generate a fan following and then it becomes ideal to re-release it. Now, social media also helps to spread the word.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan analyses the reason behind the success of these films, “When it comes to Laila Majnu, Tripti Dimrii in my opinion is a big factor. As for Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, its music is popular even today. R Madhavan is very popular and so is Saif Ali Khan. When the film stars popular names, it helps to draw in an audience. The same applies to Laila Majnu as well. It starred Triptii who became quite famous among the masses after Animal followed by Bad Newz.”
He added, “These films are such that you’ll enjoy them more in a community-watching environment. Many might have already seen it before but to watch it on the big screen by keeping your phones on silent is a different pleasurable experience. At home, you’ll face a lot of distractions and you might be compelled to pause the film and attend to a call. This affects the experience. All these distractions won’t be there in cinemas.”
Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst exulted, “This is happening as multiplexes have space. If they had a screening time crunch, they would not have re-released them. Secondly, these films broadly work due to the nostalgia factor. There are certain films which ‘de-age’, that is, certain films didn’t get appreciation at the time of release. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, however, did get a lot of traction but the collections it has got now are much better vis-à-vis what it earned then.”
He continued, “The nostalgia value is there. The audience connects with these films, as they want to relive those moments and the music of that particular film. Laila Majnu did quite well on digital. By now, people are more mature. The same set of audience, when the film re-released, was much younger.”
Film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi, on the same lines, remarked, “It is really heartening to see the performance of a lot of films on their re-release, especially when they came ahead of their times. Like what happened to the re-release of Rockstar and Laila Majnu was worthwhile because when they were released, they didn’t resonate with the audience. The taste of the audience has changed significantly since the advent of OTT. As a result, they became relevant for the audience and therefore, they are doing the numbers.”
Atul Mohan, however, maintained that the ticket rates of older films should not be inflated, “There’s nothing running in cinemas and also, the tickets are sold at cheap prices. It’s not more than Rs. 150.”
Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal agreed, “We are lacking software for cinemas. If we re-release older films and price them reasonably, those films will find a new audience. It’s mandatory to keep the ticket prices in check. We can’t charge a bomb as these films are often available for free online.”
He also explained, “What is also important is that the quality of the projection of a film is as good as the one you get on television or online. That was not the case earlier. Prints earlier used to get scratches. Sound mein gadbad ho jaata tha. At times, songs or scenes used to be cut for this reason. But now, you can see the original content in the best quality.”
A long way to go in B and C centres
Taran Adarsh added, “Every film can’t be a big grosser and this happened even in the olden days. Also, the business of these films is limited to the big centres. In smaller centres, these films haven’t penetrated.” Girish Johar, in agreement, said, “It is working in selected properties. It is not a Pan-India phenomenon.”
But Raj Bansal stated, “The re-releases are doing well even in a city like Jaipur though the footfalls can’t match the one in Mumbai. The business is better than before. Earlier, the audience was not interested at all. Now, they are ready to come to theatres to watch an older film.”
Akshaye Rathi, meanwhile, disagreed, “The re-releases so far have barely reached the B and C centres. If you look at the release size, it is barely 250 to 300 screens which are pretty much exhausted in the national chains. Some of these films have a great scope to go significantly wider and reach out to the smaller towns where there is a large audience that is starved of entertainment and these films suit their palette. Many of these old films, which were a huge hit in those centres, could make a great comeback by playing on the nostalgic value with those audiences.”
He also cautioned, “It’s great that these films are being re-released but rather than super saturating the idea quickly, we need to make sure that we route this in a slightly more strategic manner. Rather than deciding to put a certain film out on a particular date and see what happens, we need to instead market them well, generate a bit of hype and hysteria around the nostalgic value, and reach out to the target audience and that will really optimize the value of these re-releases.”
Future of this trend
The experts feel that there’s a demand for those films which are mainstream and were huge hits in their time in order for the business to cross the Rs. 15 crore or even Rs. 20 crore mark. Raj Bansal explained, “Those films should be released which were well-made and didn’t work in cinemas along with successful, landmark movies.”
Taran Adarsh noted, “If Dabangg or Om Shanti Om re-release, dekho kya dhamaka hoga!” Akshaye Rathi also said, “Fantastic mass entertainers like Wanted and Dabangg deserve a re-release. Some iconic Shah Rukh Khan with the right kind of marketing like Om Shanti Om can do really well.”
Girish Johar agreed that mass films can work wonders. He proved his point by saying, “Garv collected good numbers in mass markets (when it was released in April 2024).” When asked about films he wants to see on the big screen, he replied, “Sholay and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.”
Rakesh Roshan recently said in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama that he’s planning to re-release Hrithik Roshan’s debut film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000). Atul Mohan believed that it’s a great move, “Hrithik’s stardom has increased. The next generation is also his fan. So, if such a movie arrives in cinemas, the collections would also be impressive.”
Raj Bansal added, “I spoke to many moviegoers. They are ready to watch films of the 60s, 70s and 80s.” He also said most films that are working well have a common factor: music. He said, “In my opinion, in the last 15 years, the films are lacking good music. Even today, we are mostly listening to old films on our devices. If I ask you to list the popular songs of the last 5 years, you will struggle to recall a single track except ‘Kesariya’ from Brahmastra.”
His wish list: “Films like Aashiqui and movies made by Yash Chopra or starring Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand etc. deserve a re-release.”
More Pages: Laila Majnu Box Office Collection , Laila Majnu Movie Review
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