Re-releases of Blockbusters Resuscitate Theatres Amidst Dull Period in AP and Telangana

Barring Prabhas starrer ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ which brought audiences back to theatres for two weeks in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the dull period begins for exhibitors once again after duds like ‘Darling’ and not so impressive ‘Indian 2’ and ‘Raayan’. “If not for Kalki, it would have been worse for 1200-odd theatres in two Telugu states,’ says an exhibitor who claims that just four to five films have worked this year. “Movies like ‘HanuMan,’ ‘Tillu Square’ and to some extent ‘Guntur Kaaram’ have rocked the box office while more than 40 films crashed without a trace in two Telugu states,” he adds.

However, they are now banking on re-release of big ticket films like ‘Vikramarkudu’ featuring Ravi Teja, Mahesh Babu ‘Okkadu’ and followed by his other film ‘Murari’ on his birthday August 9. “Re-released have been saving single screens for the last one year and yet again we are hoping to find crowds in theatres for re-release of star-studded movies," he points out. On August 22, being Chiranjeevi’s birthday, the makers are re-releasing his blockbuster film ‘Tagore’ and followed by Nagarjuna’ Shiva' on August 29 and Pawan Kalyan’s superhit film ‘Gabbar Singh’ in September’. “If not for these movies, we would be suffering a lot since theatre business is crawling in the last 40 weeks and no sight of revival barring few films,” he adds.

However, director Teja has a different take on re-release mania, “May be we are not making good enough films these days so fans are thronging to theatres to watch old blockbusters. Jokes aside, film viewing experience on the big screen is unmatched and collections of these re-releases have vindicated it. The myth that OTTs have overtaken cinema has been busted.

In fact, few exhibitors are asking me to re-lease Mahesh Babu’s ‘Nijjam’ and I’m thinking of it. Since producers regain full rights after five years and they are entitled to do whatever they want,” he informs.