After the lockdown, re-release has become a new trend. The response has been unexpectedly outstanding in certain cases. Even flops have emerged as hits as the audience realized that the content was up to the mark.
A few also created good box office records. Let's go ahead and check the list of the top re-release grossers.
1) Sanam Teri Kasam
A big banner like Eros International handled the original release. But people hardly watched it at the time. Audiences openly said that it was an emotional experience. Still, nothing changed. It gained a cult following. The producers decided to pull more audience this time. This eventually led to a re-release.
The response was better. Viewers were crying towards the climax. The result was amazing collections, reaching the gross mark of Rs. 39.15 crores.
2) Tumbbad
Years ago, Ramsay Brothers created a new standard for horror films in India. Later, Vikram Bhatt entered the same field. But the stories were routine. Sohum Shah then decided to bring something unique.
A boy who left his home many years ago returns to the same place to acquire the treasure of the man for whom his mother worked as a mistress. The initial box office numbers were not so good. However, the numbers went up to Rs. 37.5 crores gross on re-release.
Two big blockbusters that will be remembered in Indian film history. A child was separated from the huge kingdom where he was born. He returns to reclaim his throne and save his mother, trapped by an evil king.
The first part covered the portion where the child finds the kingdom, along with the backstory, which continued in the second entry. But S.S. Rajamouli decided to merge both films, bringing the entire story together, leading to collections of Rs. 37 crores gross.
4) Interstellar
It is easy for anyone to remember the entire plot of a film. But no one can do the same when it comes to Christopher Nolan's films. Interstellar had a simple premise in comparison to other films by Nolan.
Astronauts are finding a new home in the future by entering a wormhole since Earth is dealing with a catastrophic situation. The figures were outstanding when it was originally released. During the re-release, the collections touched Rs. 29 crores gross.
5) Ghilli
Thalapathy Vijay is a big superstar. The reason has been the success of his films. Ghilli is one of the most iconic in the list of titles where he has appeared over the years. The premise was simple. A gang leader aims to marry a girl, and a Kabaddi player comes to her rescue.
Apart from the story, the song Appadi Podu has enjoyed a big fan base until today. Initially a blockbuster, the film received an amazing response, with gross box office numbers of Rs. 26.5 crores.
6) Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Karan Johar is an expert in love stories. This time, he brought Ayan Mukerji and opted to take a new approach. Four childhood friends reconnect on a trip. Two of them with different personalities start falling in love.
The music was a chartbuster. Badtameez Dil, Balam Pichkari, and Ghagra continue to be a common choice for every party today. Moreover, the gross figures at the time of re-release were Rs. 25.4 crores.
7) Titanic 3D
Everyone knows the story of the famous ocean liner. Many years ago, it hit an iceberg and sank in the ocean, leading to many deaths. James Cameron could have focused on multiple characters to bring a normal disaster film. But he opted for a love story in the background.
A girl supposed to get engaged to a wealthy businessman falls for an individual from a different background. The duo tries to survive the shipwreck while fighting to stay together at the same time. With the rising popularity of Jack and Rose among the audience, the re-release in 3D witnessed an amazing response, with figures touching Rs. 19 crores in gross.
8) Sholay 3D
Salim-Javed's combination remains iconic. Their work also contributed to giving the title of "Angry Young Man" to Amitabh Bachchan. But Sholay continues to have a big fan following. The characters and the dialogues did not lose their popularity. Two crooks are hired by a former police officer to capture a dacoit who killed his entire family and cut off his arms.
The story was routine. Everyone knew where it was heading. However, the three-hour ride did not disappoint the audience. With new technology grabbing attention, this one was also re-released in 3D. Viewers gave the same love and support. The final collections touched the gross mark of Rs. 13 crores.
9) Laila Majnu
Old stories and folktales have been an inspiration for Indian cinema. This one is also included in that list. Two lovers of rival families develop feelings. But they are separated, only to be reunited in the end.
After the success of Rishi Kapoor's cult classic, the same experiment was repeated with Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri. With zero awareness among the theatre-going audience, it was a big flop. But with viewers realizing that it was a good film, they went in large numbers during re-release, leading to figures of Rs. 11.6 crores gross.
10) Rockstar
Imtiaz Ali has always targeted the youth and multiplex audience. His heroes never break through walls or lands from the roof while they enter on screen. This time, the popular director opted to bring two different sides of Ranbir Kapoor. One was a simple college-going boy, and the other was a rockstar who gets easily triggered.
A Delhi-based student aims to become a musician and falls for a girl. The girl gets married to someone else. The lovers meet many years later. However, situations take a different turn due to the girl's health issues, leading to a tragic ending. With a big following among the youth, Rockstar received an amazing response in re-release. The collections reached the mark of Rs. 11.5 crores gross.
11) Avatar
It is hard to match James Cameron for world-building. He developed the vision of Pandora many years ago. But due to a lack of required technology, the blockbuster director postponed the plans. After a hard work of four years, the film arrived on the big screen, impressing the critics and audiences.
During the 22nd century, human beings enter a habitable moon to extract a mineral while Earth goes through a lack of resources and other issues. The authorities use Na'vi human hybrids for the same. However, the lead hero sides with the Na'vi when human beings start destroying their home. Viewers went back to enjoy the visuals on re-release, leading to figures of Rs. 10 crores gross.
Multiple more re-releases are being planned on different occasions. A few of them are supposed to complete their 10th or 15th anniversary in the upcoming months. In certain cases, some titles are being planned to be remastered to better formats, which means that the experience will be much better compared to the original release.
Let's wait and see which re-released film will manage to create records for another time, taking either the top spot in the list or the lowest position.