Box office flops find new audiences after re-release

New Delhi: Old is gold, but in this case, there is a twist. A number of films that flopped at the box office when they were released a few years ago have found new audiences in their recent re-release and have even done better than the then-new titles. Experts said that the success of these films on streaming platforms is partly responsible for their second success.

For example, Laila Majnua romantic drama that only has a poor ₹2.2 crore upon release in 2018, classifying it as a box office flop, it has exceeded that number when it started collecting ₹According to trade experts, the last count was Rs 2.65 crore.

Then, Imtiaz Alis Rock Starwhich was considered a semi-success at the time, has also achieved great success after its return to cinemas in June this year after 13 years and grossed around ₹10 Crores.

And Mohanlal's Malayalam film Devadoothanwhich was not considered a great success when it was released in 2000 and was re-released last week, has also received more than ₹5 Crore, which is higher than what several new films in this language have grossed.

Apart from finding new audiences on OTT (over-the-top or streaming) platforms over the years, the films also benefited in many cases from digital re-editing and new sound.

“Very often, new films are released in far too many theatres due to budget or scale constraints, which impacts revenues as they get lost in the crowd,” explained Rahul Puri, Managing Director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas. “However, re-releases are planned in such a way that only select theatres and cinemas are targeted for maximum impact.”

Many of these films may not have been well received by the general public, but they have nevertheless managed in their own way to build a large fan base, especially among children who may have been too young when they were first released, but who have grown up with the films and their songs over the years.

“Given the market weakness, where there has been no success in recent weeks, this was an experiment to achieve reasonable occupancy rather than not letting anyone come at all,” Puri said.

Certainly, films like Laila Majnu And Rock Star were limited to select premium houses and evening screenings in major cities. Just like the festivals that have screened retro hits from yesteryear stars like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan over the past two years, Puri said it is common for these cult films to fill full houses when they are shown in a single daytime screening.

“Platforms like OTT and television or earlier DVDs have only helped in improving participation and engagement with films,” said independent cinema operator Vishek Chauhan. “They all help the end product grow rather than acting as a conflict of interest because after the audience has watched the film at home and played it repeatedly, they are happy to get a chance to watch it in the cinema. These are all streams that support each other.”

Low ticket prices for re-releases and the fact that no new films were released during this period helped the films in question, Chauhan added. Moreover, many of them are love stories with good music, which resonate with the youth today.

Ruban Mathiavanan, managing director of GK Cinemas in Chennai, agreed that the films were ahead of their time and that many of them are now considered cult classics. “People have been waiting to see them on the big screen. OTT has only opened up the landscape for content in this way,” said Mathiavanan.

Key findings

Many films that were originally released years ago but did not perform well at the box office have been discovered by new audiences through OTT over the years.

This has led to strong box office figures when it was re-released in theaters. Films like Laila Majnu And Rock Star have benefited from this trend.

These films are shown in select theaters and in a few performances to appeal to a niche audience. Ticket prices remain low.

They help cinemas at a time when there are few new releases or nothing to attract crowds to the cinemas.

Television, DVDs and now OTT are helping to increase the popularity of home movies, which can lure people to theaters when the films re-emerge.