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Avinash Tiwary on Laila Majnu's journey from flop to favourite: It's still a puzzle to me
The Imtiaz Ali-produced film Laila Majnu tells the tale of how a forgotten gem made its way back to theatres.
Aug 13, 2024
Laila Majnu
Laila Majnu (2018), a modern take on a Persian love story by Sajid Ali, delves into the forbidden and everlasting love of Qais (Avinash Tiwary) and Laila (Tripti Dimri). Imtiaz Ali, Sajid's older brother and the film's producer, wrote the script set in Kashmir. Film buffs loved it, but despite positive reviews and word of mouth, it bombed at the box office six years ago. Its six-day theatrical run was a complete flop. Recently, a re-release of the beloved but unsuccessful film Laila Majnu delighted audiences with what is arguably the film's greatest redemption arc.
Imtiaz Ali's perspective on the film industry's exhibition system
During an interview with the Bombay Times, Imtiaz said that they make films permanent. The exhibition system is flawed in that it frequently leads to the early death of films due to audience prejudice and bias. The window of opportunity for releasing a feature film in theatres is relatively short. The public ignores it until it makes a loud noise. That was the path that Laila Majnu took. Some films, thankfully, get a second opportunity like this.
The re-release began in Kashmir, the film's setting and a very dear location to Imtiaz. The filmmaker expressed immense euphoria for Kashmir, a land that has endured years of unrest and issues yet hasn't received widespread recognition for its beauty and culture in a long time. Despite Kashmir's lack of theatres at the time of its release, Laila Majnu is currently playing at one in Srinagar. Thanks to the audience, this is all possible.
While re-releases of beloved classics and box office hits are common, it is unusual for films that bombed at the box office to receive a second opportunity. Imtiaz asserts that the release often fails to reveal the true value of films with understated appeal. The first three weeks of Sholay's run were not very successful commercially. However, these days, films rarely last three weeks. If a film's opening weekend box office returns fall short of expectations, the theatres remove it. This was the case with Laila Majnu. That it has entered the canon of films intended for a long run is something he can get behind. Everyone can gain valuable insights from this, and it is on the verge of receiving the praise it rightfully merits.
Avinash Tiwary reflects on his role and the film's journey
Tiwary cited his acclaimed performance as Qais (Majnu) in Laila Majnu as the reason for the film's OTT adoration. The actor really wanted it to do better at the box office in 2018, but alas, it just couldn't. But the film's popularity only grew over the years, leading to the current outpouring in Srinagar. An air of innocence pervaded the film.
Tiwary made his film debut in this role. Back when it didn't work, he was just getting started and didn't know any better. Whoever saw it loved it; therefore, it remains a mystery to him.
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