Unlike last year, which saw only a few Hindi films rake in the moolah, Bollywood seems to be in an experimental mood this year. While Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan became a blockbuster without any promotions, another interesting initiative has been old hits such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (1995), Titanic (1997), Jab We Met (2007) and Tamasha (2015) re-releasing across cinemas in India.

What encouraged the backers of these cult titles to release them again? Producer Anand Pandit says, “I don’t know the purpose behind it. I can understand if there’s an occasion like (actor) Amitabh Bachchan ji’s 80th birthday, when his old films released again. Woh baat alag thi. Randomly films ko laana… I don’t know if people will spend Rs. 200 on them.”

It’s worth noting that all the titles that have re-released are romantic films. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels they will work: “Love stories will do well this week due to Valentine’s Day. I remember how I wanted to watch Amitabh ji’s films when they re-released, despite having seen them years ago. That craze was still there. There’s no harm in re-releasing them.”

The fact that no new Bollywood release is slated for this Friday may also work in the favour of these films. “Pathaan has also slowed down and there’s a vacuum. So, releasing timeless films again is a good idea,” says Adarsh.

Filmmaker James Cameron’s had re-released Avatar (2009) before Avatar: The Way Of Water hit cinemas last year. Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Many movie lovers from today’s generation don’t watch these films, thinking yeh films slow hain. Theatre mein films dekhne ka mazaa alag hota hai. Even I will go to watch these films, thinking, ‘I watched them before marriage, now I’ll go with my wife’. I don’t see big numbers coming, but nostalgia trip definitely hoga.”