Is the re-release of iconic Bollywood films a desperate attempt to bring audiences back?

Art is the way to life. While this saying may feel redundant, it remains true. When it comes to art, no piece has a ‘singular’ or ‘consistent’ meaning. For instance, you can watch a film today, and five years later, it might hold an entirely different meaning for you.

As a die-hard fan of Imtiaz Ali, I watched Laila Majnu when it first released in 2018 and became a box office failure.

At just 18, I went through the seven stages of grief with Qais Bhatt and wondered, 'How on earth was this a flop? Did people really not understand its essence?' By 2024, I had my answer.

Millennials? They couldn’t grasp the concept of a man losing his sanity in love.

But Gen Z? They get him.

Similarly, with Rockstar (2011), starring Ranbir Kapoor, I came to understand how art is intricately tied to heartbreak—how a single heartbreak can push a man to unimaginable extremes.

Despite Nargis Fakhri’s lacklustre performance, the film delivered everything you’d expect from Imtiaz Ali: a lively, carefree male lead who initially pursues the female protagonist for fun, only to spiral into chaos by the second half. There’s something unique about the way Imtiaz crafts his male characters and their tumultuous journeys in the name of love.

When Rockstar was first released, it didn’t perform very well. However, during its re-release, social media was flooded with reels from people who were lucky enough to experience its magic on the big screen.

2024 saw a growing trend of films being re-released in cinemas. From Shah Rukh Khan’s cult classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Karan Johar’s modern guide on friendship and life, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, the trend is still going strong. Which raises the question: why are these films being re-released?

There could be three reasons for this. First, there’s been a significant decline in cinema-going culture. Second, some of these films didn’t perform well during their initial release. Third, modern films aren’t doing as well, prompting the return of cult classics to draw audiences back to cinemas. Or perhaps, it’s a combination of all three.

What’s particularly interesting about these re-releases is how Gen Z has embraced films that were originally made for millennials.

Take Laila Majnu, for instance. Now considered a cult classic, it failed to resonate with audiences at the time of its release, despite the powerful performances by Tripti Dimri and Avinash Tiwary. The album, featuring the title track by Atif Aslam and soulful songs by Mohit Chauhan, was equally exceptional but remained underrated. Ultimately, the film was a major flop.

It’s not just serious, heartbreaking films like They Both Die at the End-style films that are receiving a positive response from audiences. Feel-good films like Jab We Met, also coincidentally by Imtiaz Ali, have performed well in cinemas too.

Viewers were seen grooving to the beats of Mauja Hi Mauja in theatres, proving that it’s not just one type of cinema that resonates. Even a lighthearted story with a bubbly—and at times, annoying—female lead managed to draw audiences back to the big screen.

Looking back at the time these films were released, particularly unconventional ones like Laila Majnu, it’s clear they faced stiff competition.

2018 saw the release of high-budget films like Sanju, Padmaavat, Sui Dhaaga, and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Many of these films thrived on viral dialogues, conventional storytelling, and massive budgets. While Sui Dhaaga was a breath of fresh air, it also gained traction thanks to the memes featuring Anushka Sharma. At the time, films were primarily seen as a source of entertainment rather than an avenue to provoke deep introspection. In my opinion, this is why audiences chose lighthearted entertainment over thoughtful, meaningful cinema.

However, times have changed—or so say the adults who might look down upon my generation. We look for meaning in everything, which is both a curse and a blessing.

If you give us films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, a poorly made remake of a very good saga with remixed songs, we’ll probably laugh right in your face. But if you give us Qais Bhatt, crazily roaming around in the mountains in the name of love, we’d tell you he likely has an underlying problem like schizophrenia.

Or, if you give us Jordan from Rockstar, channelling his pain into music on stage, we’d explain how pain drives emotion, and emotion leads to the birth of art.

Even simpler films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, which probably made every 2000s kid dream of becoming a photojournalist, or Jab We Met, with its classic grumpy boy–sunshine girl trope, have deeper meanings.

For instance, in YJHD, Kabir (commonly known as Bunny), played by Ranbir Kapoor, lacked balance. He chased his dreams with such intensity that he neglected meaningful friendships and relationships. Meanwhile, Naina Talwar, played by Deepika Padukone, was incredibly relatable for being stuck in a situationship for years—a scenario that Gen Z kids would completely understand.

Similarly, Aditi, played by Kalki Koechlin, was another relatable character who chose to move on with someone who made her happy rather than waiting for someone who couldn’t make up their mind.

When you take a closer look, these films offer multiple perspectives, despite being products of mainstream cinema. They make you stop, reflect, and think. However, the kind of films mainstream cinema produces today might not be as meaningful as those from a few years ago.

Originality seems to be missing, which is why people often turn to OTT platforms or choose to revisit old films that evoke nostalgia and comfort, rather than endure poorly remixed old songs.