In the latest trend of re-releases, Sajid Ali’s 2018 directorial ‘Laila Majnu’, presented by ace filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, initially proved to be a box office dud. However, a new life was breathed into the film with its re-release on Friday, National Cinema Lovers Day. In just four days, the film surpassed its original collection of ₹2.18 crore. Starring Triptii Dimri and Avinash Tiwary, ‘Laila Majnu’ is based on the legendary saga of Laila and Qais.

Despite the lukewarm response it received upon its original release, the film’s subsequent release on the OTT platform Zee5 saw viewers appreciating the cast’s performances and the execution of the narrative. Re-released on Friday, August 9, due to popular demand, the film has been performing significantly well. The impressive response can be attributed to the admiration it gained following its OTT release and the fame achieved by Dimri and Tiwary with their subsequent projects. The duo starred together in the critically acclaimed supernatural drama ‘Bulbul’. Dimri garnered recognition for her role in ‘Qala’ and experienced a meteoric rise with ‘Animal’, while Tiwary gained prominence for his roles in ‘Khakee: The Bihar Chapter’ and ‘Madgaon Express’.

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The film had earned only ₹2.18 crore during its 2018 theatrical run. Upon its re-release last Friday, ‘Laila Majnu’ opened to a decent collection of ₹30 lakh, partly due to the low ticket prices for National Cinema Lovers Day. Additionally, there were no new Bollywood releases competing with it. The film then racked up ₹75 lakh on Saturday and finally hit the ₹1 crore mark on Sunday.

On Monday, it surpassed its original collection, garnering ₹60 lakh and bringing its total collection upon re-release to ₹2.65 crore. Meanwhile, ‘Laila Majnu’ isn’t the only Imtiaz Ali film enjoying success through re-release. The filmmaker’s superhit 2011 musical ‘Rockstar’ has been maintaining its foothold for weeks, and his 2009 hit rom-com ‘Love Aaj Kal’ is also currently running in theatres.

‘Laila Majnu’ is a modern-day adaptation of the classic folklore, penned and presented by Imtiaz Ali and directed by his brother Sajid Ali. The film was produced by Preety Ali and Ekta Kapoor. It was predominantly shot in Jammu and Kashmir, and its music, which became a chartbuster at the time, was composed by Niladri Kumar, Joi Barua, and Alif.