Flashbacks to Bollywood’s golden era, nostalgia or business strategy?

Aishwarya Rai’s Taal is returning to screens 25 years after its release. Shahrukh Khan’s Veer-Zaara continues to draw full houses and has made Rs 100 crore in the first week of its re-release. As a slew of old films, from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun to Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein make their way back to screens, it leaves one wondering whether it’s a ruse to woo audiences back to theatres in the absence of good fresh content.

Exhibitors have been contending with a slump in footfall, with the current releases failing to generate excitement. Trade analyst Sumit Kadel says re-releases are happening due to a combination of factors — an effort to create nostalgia, and the lack of new releases. “Some films, once considered flops, have become popular over time thanks to OTT platforms and satellite TV. Now, audiences, especially in big cities, are watching these films in theatres as re-releases. However, the main reason they are drawing decent crowds is the shortage of new content in cinemas.”

But, it seems the onslaught of re-releases to recreate the glory of the wonder years of Bollywood is a classic case of too much of a good thing. Film critic Joginder Tuteja minces no words when he says it is an overkill. He says, “It is an example of herd mentality where everyone follows a trend and jumps on a bandwagon, in this case, the re-releases. I understand bringing back movies which didn’t do well initially but have achieved cult status over time. But, if you bring back those films which were anyway huge hits of their time, and are now available across satellites and networks, why would anyone go to theatres to watch them? Yes, there are films like Sholay and Dilwale Dhulainiya Le Layeenge, which were brought back to celebrate a milestone and recreate nostalgia, and that makes sense. But if all films which were huge hits are brought back and given prime time slots, it won’t work.”

Meanwhile, Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree 2 continues to hold sway at theatres, with no competition until October when Alia Bhatt’s Jigra hits the screens, followed by Singham Again. And filmmaker Aamir Khan’s decision to not pre-sell the digital rights of his films to streaming platforms and keep the release exclusive to theatres for at least three months, has been welcomed.