Kannada cinema: As lull descends on theatres, it is raining re-releases

When it was released in the late 90s, A created a record of sorts, completing 100 days in theatres and catapulting Upendra to stardom. A similar standing is held by Krishna Nee Begane Baro, a 1986 film directed by H. R. Bhargava and starring Vishnuvardhan, Bhavya, Bollywood star Kim, and Mukhyamantri Chandru. The film features music by Bappi Lahiri. Kannada audiences still remember the song Aaalare Aaalare , sung by S. Janaki.

Re-releases: A pan-India trend

The re-releases of these two stars’ films hint at the global trend of pushing blockbusters of yesteryears. “It is the season of re-releases,” says K. V. Chandrashekar, president of the Karnataka Film Exhibitors’ Association. He attributes the scarcity of new films for exhibitors and distributors to embracing the trend of re-releases of blockbuster movies from the past. “The ongoing seven-phased Lok Sabha polls, coupled with the latest IPL season, has resulted in a situation where there are no big releases happening. The film industry in India, especially in South India, seems to have capitalized on the opportunity to re-release some decades-old successful movies,” says M. N. Suresh, president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC).

According to trade experts in Bollywood, with fewer moviegoers heading out to catch the latest releases, several theatres have reduced the number of daily shows for those films. They argue that the major reason for the trend of re-releases is that many recent movies are simply not attracting audiences. This is why some major multiplexes in Mumbai are currently showing re-releases and Oscar-winning films as part of an alternative content strategy. The situation is no different in South India.

Umesh Banakar, president of the Karnataka Film Producers’ Association, terms the trend as a pan-Indian phenomenon. Theatres across India are hosting film re-releases and attracting good crowds. The re-releases are taking viewers down memory lane and allowing them to create Instagram reels, such as “Karimani Malika Neenalla…” a song from Upendra’s film Upendra (1999). National award-winning film writer B. N. Subrahmanya notes that 2023 and 2024 saw many iconic film re-releases. Scores of fans turned up to theatres. “Films are nothing but time capsules. They help audiences to freeze time and create memories with their past. This is exactly what is happening across the country these days, as cine-goers reach theatres to experience their past through re-released films of their time.” Further expanding his argument, he says theatre-going audiences don’t bother about the entry fee to theatres. They pay more money for the experience than the movie.

Telangana shuts down single-screen theatres

The Telangana Theatre Association (TTA) has announced the shutdown of single screens for the next ten days. Over 450 single-screen theatres in the state will remain closed until May 26 due to rapidly diminishing footfalls. According to G. V. Reddy, a major exhibitor and distributor, the daily expenses incurred by an average single-screen are approximately Rs 10,000, but the theatres are not earning even Rs 4,000 in recent days. “This number is likely to drop further for smaller films,” he told The Federal.

Tamil film ‘Ghilli’ set the re-release trend

The plight of the Tamil film industry is no different. Decades-old movies are being re-released. The trend of re-releases started when the 2012 Dhanush-starrer 3 (its song, Kolaveri Di, had become a national rage) was shown as the theatre chain had no new films to screen. Ghilli, directed by Dharani and featuring Trisha and Vijay in the lead roles, hit theatres on April 20 and collected over Rs 30 crore in just two weeks. Re-releases are showing an upward trend with people accepting Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Likewise, people wholeheartedly accepted Bhadran’s 1995 film Spadikam. Audiences have proved that ‘old is perpetually gold.’ “We are following the trend of Hollywood, which began some four years ago due to the lack of films,” says Venkateshwaran, owner of Mukunda Theatre in Bengaluru.

The reasons for this trend of re-releasing old films, according to noted film critic Chetan Nadiger, include nostalgia, box office potential, technological advancements, limited new releases, and cult followings. “Normally, when you watch a movie, you expect something new. If you think you know what will come next, the movie becomes boring. But during a re-release, the same ‘expectability’ is a feature,” he says with a smile and adds, “the reason behind the success of re-releases is very simple. When you know what to expect, it is harder to get disappointed.”

Malayalam films are an exception

It is significant that the Kerala film industry is not facing this kind of problem. In the past 15 years, Malayalam cinema has witnessed a generational shift. Its look and feel, themes, and narrative styles have been transformed by new generation filmmakers. There is a huge wave of adulation for Malayalam cinema in recent times. Film sites are showering praise over the acclaimed new wave super-realist stories being narrated by Malayalam filmmakers, says G. V. Reddy. “In the late 90s, we used to get a print of Malayalam films for Rs 10,000 and screen them during morning shows. Now we are screening Malayalam films for a minimum of four shows. Manjummel Boys collected Rs 4 crore. Imagine the growth of Malayalam films in Bengaluru from Rs 10,000 to Rs 4 crore,” he says. Reddy attributes this to discerning, educated audiences and the exhibition policies of the Kerala government.

When asked what made him re-release A after 28 years, Upendra said, “When I made A, it was ahead of its time. I am curious to see how today’s generation will receive it. My films are shaped by the audience. They inspire me to keep innovating. Today’s audience is even more discerning.” The trend of Kannada re-releases gained ground with movies of Puneet Rajkumar. His 14-year-old film Jackie hit the screens to mark his birth anniversary and received a good reception from the audience. Jackie's success prompted the makers of two of his other movies to re-release: Anjani Putra and Power Star. However, the two re-released films were not as successful as Jackie.

Dearth of Star Films

According to Nadiger, there are no movies to keep the theatres running. There are no releases of “star” films, except Karataka-Damanaka, starring Shivaraj Kumar and Prabhudeva. The producer of Bhyrathi Ranagal, starring Shivaraj Kumar, says the film is likely to hit the screen on August 15. Until then, audiences experience a drought of star films in Kannada, and footfalls are diminishing by the day. Though small-budget films are being released, they have failed to attract the audience to the theatres. “Re-releasing blockbusters of yesteryears is the only answer to keep Kannada cinema floating,” Nadiger observes.

Projectors back to life in Tamil Nadu

In a development that can be perceived as a positive outcome of the re-release trend, some single screens are bringing film projectors back to life in Tamil Nadu. According to reports, the print projector is making a comeback at a few Chennai theatres. Following an increase in footfalls for re-released films in the past few months, film projectors (an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion pictures by projecting them onto a screen) are making a comeback. This is precisely because of the non-availability of yesteryear celluloid films in digital format.

Digitisation: A costly proposition

This forced some of the screen owners to revive film projectors, which they had relegated to the past. K. V. Chandrashekar of Veeresh Theatre in Bengaluru is of the opinion that a few screen owners (not in Karnataka) are resorting to projectors because production houses found digitisation of older films to be a costly proposition. “This might be the reason why single screen owners opt for projectors. Producers and distributors have no problem in sharing their prints, whose quality suffered due to weather conditions. Some theatres have re-installed the projectors that they already have. The audience doesn’t care if the print is in bad shape. They only enjoy the content, their hero in action, and taking a trip down memory lane,” says Venkateshwara Reddy. “But the Kannada film industry has no such problem because we have video tapes of most of the classics,” says Chandrashekar.