The trend of old Bollywood films re-releasing in theatres seems to be growing by the day. From Hrithik Roshan-starrer Lakshya to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Rockstar iconic films have been brought back to the big screens and they have reinforced the fact that old is indeed gold. But very recently, we saw a unique re-release. A film that had very few takers when it released is getting massive appreciation now.
Six years after its original release, Laila Majnu, starring Triptii Dimri and Avinash Tiwary in lead roles, is finally getting its due. The film re-released in theatres on 9 August, and in just four days it has managed to outgross its original run at the box office. Directed by Sajid Ali and presented by his brother Imtiaz Ali, Laila Majnu tanked at the box office with collections a little over Rs 2 crore. But over the years it managed to get a huge fan following.
As per reports, the weekend box office collection of the film following its re-release was Rs 2 crore, which was higher than its original opening weekend, which stood at Rs 1.51 crore. Its four-day collection stands at Rs 2.6 crore, overtaking its original run of Rs 2.15 crore.
What led to this overwhelming success of a movie that was met with such a lukewarm response when it released in 2018? And are re-releases financially helping the dry spell that Bollywood is going through? Trade experts weigh in:
'The Case of Laila Majnu Is Quite An Exception'
Trade analyst Komal Nahta told The Quint that Laila Majnu's box office performance after the re-release has been quite a surprise.
"The case of Laila Majnu is quite an exception. One hasn't seen such a thing happening in the past, that a film that was such a disaster at the box office when it released in 2018 collects more than the first run's collections in the repeat run. It is indeed a unique incident."Komal Nahta, Trade Analyst
He also weighed in on why the movie, that had received such a lukewarm response, is being praised and appreciated now. "I can only think of one reason as to why this happened. The audience has evolved. What they found boring and not to their liking earlier, the same thing is being liked now. I remember when I had watched the film during its initial release, I liked parts of it. At that time, however, the audience focused more on the negatives rather than the positive aspects of Laila Majnu. Now, they are looking at the positives."
Nahta also pointed out that audiences are going back to older movies because the recent films are not catering to their expectations.
"Because a lot of the recent releases are tanking at the box office, the audiences are turning to older films and giving them a second chance."Komal Nahta, Trade Analyst
The other factor contributing to the new-found success of Laila Majnu is the popularity of Triptii. After receiving a lot of appreciation for her performance in Netflix's Qala, Triptii shot to fame with Animal. She also recently headlined Bad Newz alongside Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk. "The rising popularity of Triptii Dimri has definitely led to more people going back to her older film, Laila Majnu."
'Re-Releases Are Definitely Helping Bollywood Financially'
The trend of Hindi films re-releasing in theatres is not new, said trade analyst Taran Adarsh. "From the 1980s onwards, this was a regular trend that we saw. Films that became super hits were re-released, including Mughal-E-Azam. But I must also mention Raj Kapoor's film Mera Naam Joker, which was an epic disaster at the box office. But over a period of time, during repeat runs, the film cultivated a solid fan base."
Adarsh said that a similar thing happened with Laila Majnu.
"I had attended the premiere of Laila Majnu and thought that it was a great film. I remember telling Imtiaz Ali that but he said that the movie didn't perform well. I told him that it's okay, at times certain films miss the mark. I am so happy that the film is finally getting its due."Taran Adarsh, Trade Analyst
Adarsh added, "Over time, people who watched the movie on OTT and liked it spread the word, prompting others to go to the cinema halls. There's also a section who hadn't watched Laila Majnu in 2018 and booked tickets now because there aren't any good films in the theatres."
This year has been a challenging one for Bollywood. Films of even major stars like Ajay Devgn (Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, Maidaan) Akshay Kumar (Sarfira, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan) failed to perform at the box office and not many theatrical releases are managing to draw audiences. When asked whether re-releases are helping get business to the industry Adarsh said, "They are definitely helping the business in Bollywood. As long as people come to the theatres, the industry will only flourish. There's also consolation that some losses are being recovered."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)