Nostalgia, with a side of profit: Bollywood rewinds to the classics

When Sanam Teri Kasam released in February 2016, it sank without a trace. The reviews were mixed, and the box office collection was lacklustre. And since there were no big faces attached, it simply vanished, like many mediocre films of its kind do.

Yet, when the film was re-released in February 2025, it reportedly became the highest-grossing Bollywood re-release of all time. Today, it enjoys a cult following, rivalling the likes of Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and Agneepath (1990).  

What changed? Was it the memories of the Covid-induced lockdown, which had people craving to go out? Was it an audience satiated with what Hindi cinema was churning out: War, larger-than-life action, and historical fiction? It was probably both, plus a targeted PR campaign. But one thing is certain: Sanam Teri Kasam was no outlier. 

If you have asked a movie buff recently about their last enjoyable theatre experience, chances are the answer was a re-release. It’s not just nostalgia — although that is certainly a big factor. Many of these films are remastered, attracting new viewers as well. Consider, for example, the re-release of The Godfather trilogy this month —  fans won’t want to miss the 4K restoration, and even the uninitiated will seek it out. After all, which cinephile could resist bragging that their first time watching Al Pacino transform into a cold-blooded gangster was in a theatre? 

The re-releases have also become a conduit for families to watch films together again — one can often see grown children taking their parents to screenings of old Hindi classics like Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1965), Deewaar (1975), and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!  (1994). 

Capitalising on all this, we have PVR Inox regularly conducting polls on its Instagram page over the next re-release. BookMyShow even has a tab for “re-releases” on its app. In an era where high ticket prices and the easy availability of quality content have eroded profits, re-releases promise a magic that translates to the ever-desirable “houseful”. With audiences unwilling to show up for mediocre, unappealing fare, there is a certain safety in classics, which are bound to draw even non-regular patrons. People singing along and even dancing in the aisles — this experience can simply never be recreated at home.  

Although the current decline of Bollywood predates the pandemic, things have deteriorated since 2020. The year saw two other major developments, apart from theatres shutting down: The #BoycottBollywood trend (partly successful for the under-performance of films like Laal Singh Chaddha), and the broadening of cinematic horizons due to the proliferation of OTT platforms. Apart from major ones like Netflix and JioStar, there are now also language-specific services like Aha (Telugu and Tamil) and Hoichoi (Bangla), which ensure easy access to content from the comfort of one’s home.  

The only bright spot has been 2023, which saw films like Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Animal doing well commercially and earning mixed-to-positive reviews. However, it can be argued that four out of these five films rode a massive wave of nostalgia: The first two marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback; the third was the sequel to a 2001 hit; and the fourth was publicised as Karan Johar returning to his brand of “family entertainment”. Are we witnessing an Ouroboros Effect (generative AI training on AI-generated content, leading to eventual decline in quality and freshness) in Bollywood, with the nostalgia-laden success of re-releases affecting contemporary movies? 

The slog continues for Bollywood, and only one thing seems certain: If audiences are stepping out, they are looking for an experience, a spectacle. The success of “event” films attests to this —sequels, comebacks, and new instalments in cinematic universes inevitably create buzz. But re-releases offer something unique: A potent mixture of nostalgia and the genuine excitement of discovering — or rediscovering — a gem. Looking at the way things are going, it seems they are here to stay.