Nostalgia has overtaken the Bollywood box-office once again
MOhit Kumar, a 35-year-old business executive from Noida, scrolls through a ticket app on his mobile to find the right film to watch with his wife over the weekend. A point later, they stuck in Imtiaz Ali Laila Majnu and of Madhavan Rehena Hai Tere Dil Main For the 8 pm show. No, it’s not time travel. The two films, released in 2018 and 2001 respectively, are being screened for four shows at Noida’s popular Cinepolis multiplex. Interestingly, Akshay Kumar’s Play playand of John Abraham The VedasThe two latest releases got just four and three shows in their second week respectively and neither got a prime time slot. It’s at the box office once again yesterday as several old films are being re-released to keep cinemas populated after the pandemic has brought the industry down.
A walk through time
The trend started when PVR INOX released Imtiaz Jab we met On Valentine’s Day this year. According to Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR INOX Pictures, despite regular features on streaming platforms and satellite channels, they were surprised by the massive response the film received. The response led to other romantic stories of Imtiaz, Rockstar (2011) and Laila Majnu Also making a comeback to the big screen.
And Madhavan and Dia Mirza in ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’.
The latter, based on the classic love tragedy, saw long queues during its re-release in Srinagar. Word soon spread and the film, which grossed just over ₹2.5 crore at the box office on its first release in 2018, has already grossed around ₹5.5 crore and Mr. Gianchandani says business is as good as new. Films at many centers. “Rockstar And Laila Majnu It behaved like a brand new film at the box office. The wave showed that people continue to enjoy the theater experience. New films continue to be the staple, they are the staple but older films are doing much better than in the past and we want to capitalize on that,” he says.
As the word spread, many films across different genres and sensibilities made a comeback. While some are accompanied by PR buzz, many are discovered through the Bookmyshow roster. For example, the return of Payer Kia in Mayon (1989) did news but gentleman (1991) was determined without fanfare. its return aim (2004) where observed king baby (1994) made a quiet entrance into multiplexes as part of a comedy festival.
If PVR INOX finds a business in classic romances, Mirage Cinemas, for now, is growing up with cult crime stories. Recently, the chain released two parts of Anurag Kashyap Gangs of Wasseypur In a shocker, Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Mirage Entertainment Ltd said that the film earned ₹50 lakh in the first week of its re-release. “It’s a healthy start considering the first week, it released exclusively at Mirage Cinemas.”
Also read:And Madhavan, Dia Mirza’s ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’ will be re-released in theaters
Lack of new content
There are multiple reasons behind the revival of previously released films. Mr. Sharma said, those who loved Mirzapur will be This is the type of content Mother wants to see, while Mr. Gianchandani because films that are a bit ahead of their time are resonating with today’s youth. But what most stakeholders agree on, is the lack of fresh and quality content.
This year, there have only been two instances of multiple major releases in one week. Both on the Eid weekend Except Mian Chote Mian And the field Under Performance and distributed between Independence Day releases, only Street 2 Brings cheerfulness to business. An old hand commented that the post-Covid situation is such that both audiences and producers are identifying with horror comedies, citing its success. By mistake-2, MunzyaAnd Street 2.
PVR INOX released Imtiaz’s ‘Jab We Met’ on Valentine’s Day this year. | Photo credit: IMDb
Apart from Akshay Kumar, big stars avoid annual exposure. Even their smaller counterparts in the big leagues are taking long breaks between two releases. The appeal of issue-led films has faded and big-budget spectacles have been pushed back by the pandemic. Likes short, content-rich films, say inside sources 12th fail And Lapata LadiesFound an audience because they are backed by big production houses who have the money to create awareness about the film.
Anyway, love the movie strongAnd GulmoharBetrayal of an independent tone that still does not fit into the matrix. The south has a more steady supply of big-screen entertainment but Mr. Sharma points out that Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films usually have a four-week window before they are released on streaming platforms. “So, if a person misses the film in the first weekend, he is ready to wait for the OTT release. Eight weeks gap with Hindi film. It’s not an ideal situation but still gives a film some breathing room in theaters.
In this scenario, it makes sense to bring back films that didn’t get a proper theatrical run when they were first released or that aren’t available on YouTube and streaming platforms. For example, deeply layered folk horror dramas Tumbad Coming back to the turnstiles next week. So is Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza’s romance drama Tuzhe Meri Kasam (2003).
Veteran distributor Joginder Mahajan says that contrary to perception, the trend is actually driven by the 15-35-year-old audience. In the distribution circuit, the perception is that after the movie business is cyclical and seeing dark themes, youngsters are looking for family entertainment with 1990s nostalgia.
On the revenue front
Mahajan, general secretary of the Motion Pictures Association, is fond of the times when films come back for several reruns. He has been testing public interest in smaller centers by releasing money spinners of the 1980s and 90s with moderate success. Last week he said, Govinda’s draw (1993) grossed ₹1 lakh in a week in three single theaters in Agra despite heavy rain outside. Street 2 at the multiplex. “We advised multiplexes to re-release old films but they did not listen. In the corporate culture, which has taken over the film exhibition business, the personal touch does not matter. After the business downturn they realized that the highest antique value is gold.
Also read:Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor starrer ‘Stree 2’ grosses Rs 500 crore worldwide
Distributor’s revenue share is 50% for new releases, 30% for previously released films. But Mahajan says his community sees it as an opportunity to add a few lakhs more without spending anything on publicity.
Since older movie tickets cost more, it is proving to be a more affordable entertainment option for families. This gave multiplex chains a strategic insight into spending patterns. A lower ticket price can bring in more numbers. This is already reflected in the 60-70% increase in occupancy on National Cinema Day where ticket prices were as low as ₹99. Recently, for the first time, PVR INOX has reduced weekend ticket rates to ₹99 on Fridays and ₹199 on Saturdays and Sundays. Mr Gianchandani said it was an attempt to target certain sections of the society. “We want to bring in people who haven’t been to the theater in a long time and encourage families to come back.” More families mean more food and beverage businesses. It goes without saying that it’s the money spent during the break that keeps the show going.
has been published – Sep 06, 2024 12:27 pm IST
