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OPINION: How are re-released films like Thalapathy Vijay’s Ghilli and Ajith Kumar’s Billa making waves at the box office?
With the trend of movies re-releasing becoming a sensation, how is it that such films are being celebrated just like new releases receive immense love? Check it out!
Cinemas in general are usually loved and celebrated by the audience during the particular time it is released in theaters. Some films fail to grasp the audience’s attention and run out of the screens in no time. On the other hand, many films manage to keep people entertained so much that they stick in theaters for weeks and even months.
However, what is the reason behind re-released films recreating the same magic they once created in theaters? How is it that films like Ghilli starring Thalapathy Vijay and Trisha or Billa starring Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara still able to make people walk into the cinema hall?
Audiences’ love for re-releasing films
The films mentioned above like Ghilli and Billa are some of the biggest hits in the respective actor’s careers, making it even a breakthrough for them in their journey of films. Not just Ghilli and Billa, various re-releases in the South including Dheena, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, Paiyaa, Jersey, and many more managed to become big hits in theaters.
Re-releases like Manam, Leader, and many more are still lining up the theatrical screening list. Even though many new films like Aavesham, Varshangalkku Shesham, and others are in theaters these re-releases are bringing in a high number of audiences as well. While the aforementioned movies were released in theaters years ago, they still manage to bring people into the cinema halls despite being available on television or OTT streaming platforms.
One of the easiest conclusions for the question is the emotions riding in the films which are embedded deeply in the pop culture of cinema. As said earlier, these movies, especially a flick like Ghilli made a massive impact on Thalapathy Vijay’s career. It managed to catapult the actor’s stardom to a whole new level. Breaking the image of a family-oriented actor or chocolate boy in romance films, Vijay became a mass action star with films like Ghilli and Pokkiri.
Ghilli re-release trailer:
Despite being remakes, the fanbase he managed to create with these films is what perpetuated the strong number of fans he has today. Understanding this, it clearly makes sense that his followers would definitely flock in to watch the movie as if experiencing it on a euphoric level of first-day releases. However, Ghilli managed to cross a threshold of Rs 20 crores in the first week of release from screens worldwide. The number is definitely a stunning benchmark standard considering how the film was released originally 20 years ago.
The feat achieved by Ghilli in a matter of a week made it a sensation in box office numbers, being the highest grosser in India even beating Titanic 3D which previously held first place. Did the film manage to achieve this level of success with only the help of the actor’s fans?
It seems odd for a film to achieve that kind of success simply by fans and it definitely needs a much bigger pool of audience to conjure up such rates. The sense of nostalgia plays a significant role here. With many people reminiscing about their good old days, Ghilli and Billa were some of the films that made their childhood or teenage life all the more special.
Maybe going to see the movie with family or friends, or even the emotions one felt while watching these films is what makes them special for all kinds of audiences. Moreover, the impact of films severely given in modern-day pop culture plays a significant role in people being interested in watching the movies once again on the big screens.
Be it the comedic gags that exist in Ghilli which are still shared on the Internet and used by people as memes or dialogues in real life, or even the mass action status people put of David Billa featuring Ajith. These films managed to cross the threshold with the significance they have on people’s lives.
Are re-releases solely working on the impact of the film and its actors?
From the perspective we have taken so far, we can understand that re-releasing films being a hit on the big screens certainly has a big thanks to be said to the cast, crew, and the significance the film had made in people’s lives.
However, nostalgia can only take you so far in the business model world of cinema. If a film needs to work, considering a re-release in this context, the demand for the movie should also be high. Hoping to release any sort of film in hopes of making it big in theaters is a dumb choice, picking up something that has a huge impact is what holds the key to a good reception.
Even last year, in Kerala theaters, Mohanlal made a sensation with his film Spadikam which was re-released after many years that too in 4K resolution. However, the significance of the film, the actor’s fanbase, and the demand for a mass movie like that made it all the more helpful in being a success. If any random movie was picked up blindly from yesteryear to re-release, it wouldn’t have made the same impact as these films.
Spadikam Trailer:
However, despite all these insightful views on the re-release trend, another major influencing factor about re-releases being successful is the lack of new content in theaters. Over the last couple of months, the release of various films in an arbitrary manner has managed to leave out several releases from the big screens. With theaters running low on footfall, these re-releases helped in picking up the momentum and making a significant business profit.
With many huge films all geared up to release in the upcoming days, do you think the impact of re-releases might diminish? Only time will answer that.
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