Avinash Tiwari and Trupti Dimri Laila Majnuwhich failed to impress the audience in 2018, has now gained popularity among the young generation due to its melodious music and soulful performances. The film recently got a chance to resurface when it was re-released in theaters across India on August 9, 2024. In a rare feat, Laila MajnuThe re-release surpassed the film’s original lifetime box office collection. In a special conversation with NDTV, Avinash shared his reaction on the unexpected success of the film. The actor said, “It came out of nowhere. Me and my director (Sajid Ali), we keep saying that it’s almost like divine intervention. I had gone to Kashmir for a few days, he was in Kashmir so I thought of meeting him. We went to a restaurant and then 3-4 girls came in, they made a reel and it went viral the next day. Well, I am in Srinagar and I am being tagged in these reels ‘looking for Kais Bhatt’.
He further added, “Then, I was requested to host a fan meet in Srinagar and it did not stop there. That day was Muharram, there were crowds everywhere and we had a lot of female fans. Seeing all these women reveal their emotions was something that no one expected. We went ahead and tagged PVR and INOX and asked them to re-release the film in Srinagar and it worked. They started with one show, but it turned into three in one day and then the theaters were packed all weekend.”
Avinash Tiwari revealed Laila MajnuIts success in Srinagar prompted theaters to re-release the film across the country. He said, ‘This news reached PVR and INOX and then they decided to re-release it all over India. It started with 70 screens in the country and then reached 200 and then 400 the next day. It just kept building. This is something we didn’t see when the film was originally released, we saw 4 people in theaters.
The actor said that he is grateful to the fans for giving his film a chance. “The joy for me and my director was just to travel to theaters across the country and thank them (fans) for coming to watch our film. It’s a feeling that we’ve never seen before for a film. The only thing I can do is shake hands and thank everyone who supported the film.
Laila MajnuThe story revolves around two Kashmiri lovers Qais and Laila, who are unable to reconcile due to the hostility of their families. But destiny steps in and when Qais goes to London, Laila marries another man. The film, directed by Sajid Ali, was originally released on September 7, 2018.
