Retro to the rescue?

I was just thinking (based on the recent Amitabh festival) whether a way to bring people back to theatres is simply to release old hit films and charge something small (like maybe ₹50 or ₹100) for a seat (because your costs have already been recovered and you’ve already made so much money on it that any more is pure profit), bring down in-theatre food cost (or allow people to carry food in), and spend a little bit on publicising it rather than make more expensive, more complicated films that are more difficult to profit from.

You could have continuously ongoing (and cyclical, meaning they come back after some time) ‘festivals’ focusing on a particular actor, director, musician, dancer, and so on. Since people already know whether the film is good, it will take out the experimental part (Should I spend my time and money? Can I trust the reviews? Is there a better way to spend my family’s weekend? Should I wait for it to come to OTT? and so on), and it can be easy to distribute. Indeed, you could even have a film running only twice or thrice a week, with other retro films (of course, with some common theme) running on other times. Like, Sholay would play on Thursdays and Fridays matinee and last show, while Deewar would play same days, but first show, and Satte pe Satta would run on Mondays and Wednesdays two shows, and so on. There’s enough (and more) content to go around. And all the copyright holders are simply sitting on the damn art doing sweet eff-all except OTT without realising the potential of the gold mine they possess (where they seem not to mine for gold but use the land to grow potatoes!). Why just action? I say even a Jai Santoshi Maa would run to packed houses today.

People will, as we now know by experience, love to watch these on the large screen rather than on their mobiles and TVs. They want to dance along to the songs, mouth the dialogue loudly, shout at the villain, laugh with the comedian, and cry with the protagonist. It seems obvious that people crave the kind of buzz and liveliness in what used to be a social (and en masse) activity and outing but became this serious, measured, over-planned, and over-engineered (not to mention private and exclusive) affair with the advent of multiplexes. The problem, as I see it, is less with the films (though that too) and more with the sterile and fun-free environment (in which we now watch them) we have created in the name of modernity.

As it is, theatres are running empty. This is like an airline seat when the aircraft is about to leave. It’s going empty anyway. Even if it is sold for ₹1, that’s one more rupee in the airline company’s pocket. No more or less skin off their nose, so to say. Ditto films.

I’d watch Sholay twice (hell, why go that far; I’ll watch Tezaab or even the later Lagaan) if it played on a large screen with great sound and air-conditioning. I’d not care to think too much before deciding to walk into a theatre. Every time my friends and I find free time and are in the vicinity of a mall, we’d probably have a beer or two and go catch a classic. We’d perhaps even walk out after our favourite scene/song without remorse or hesitation. After all, we were there to enjoy ourselves, not write a paper on it at the end. We’d eat noisily and talk loudly, we’d cheer and clap, and we’d whistle with joy and shout with anger. And then, we’d leave, having had a good time. Without the pressure that today’s film outing puts you through.

Also, it will attract new audiences. Families with smaller incomes will not think twice before spending a little on entertainment, knowing fully well that it is clean (in fact, sexual innuendo and gore of the 1970s are seen as tame today), tried, and tested, promises to be time (and money) well-spent. Millennials, school kids, college students, youngsters, first jobbers, and other kinds of audiences that the Hindi film industry had lost will come back. Because you’ve now made it worth their while and money. Parents won’t mind their kids seeing these. And if you play your cards right (market the exercise with proper information and snippets, trivia and unreleased recordings etc), you have a winner on your hands.

Of course, you can keep making new films too. Nobody’s stopping you. And you can charge your ₹500 per ticket and so on for that. Your call. But know this: The old retro films will bring the audience back to the theatres. Not your ₹500 Crore ‘blockbuster’. And you can ride on top of that and revive the entire industry.

Another way would be to reserve half (initially, more so you can prime the pump, so to say, and get the flow of people started) your screens for retro re-releases and the other half for new films. That’d keep everyone happy (and fill those empty seats!).

I believe that at the end of the day, this is in everyone’s interest (except the multiplex owners’, but that too only for the short term, for once the juggernaut starts rolling, and new films start attracting audiences like before, they’d be on velvet as well; and as it is, they’re taking a loss, so what’s stopping them from experimenting?): The filmmakers, the distributors, the audience, and industry, indeed perhaps even the government and the economy (my bet is that ‘sentiment’ will get better in the market as more people find more joy watching more socially and come back to life refreshed and in a better state of mind as well as with 1. more inclusive perspective because that’s how films were made then, and 2. less trusting of the politician, policeman, and industrialist). Or maybe I’m stretching it in that last point. Anyway, what I want to say is that this is an idea worth exploring, what?

Later addition: Apropos my above post about retro films saving the Hindi film industry and bringing back audiences in droves to the theatres, here is a list of films from independence till 40 years ago that I think can work. Of course, not all of them will actually work. This is just a list of those I think that will. Also, there is probably an equally long list of films in the last 40 years that can be re-released successfully. I leave it to my readers to make it. By the way, if you think I’ve missed out on something, let me know:
1. Awaara (1951)
2. Baazi (1951)
3. Do Bigha Zameen (1953)
4. Shree 420 (1955)
5. Mr. & Mrs. 55 (1955)
6. Devdas (both 1955 and 2002, both)
7. C.I.D (1956)
8. Mother India (1957)
9. Naya Daur (1957)
10. Pyaasa (1957)
11. Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957)
12. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
13. Dilli Ka Thug (1958)
14. Phir Subah Hogi (1958)
15. Anari (1959)
16. Dil Deke Dekho (1959)
17. Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
18. Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)
19. Kala Bazar (1960)
20. Junglee (1961)
21. Hum Dono (1961)
22. Kabuliwala (1961)
23. Asli-Naqli (1962)
24. Half Ticket (1962)
25. Gumrah (1963)
26. Bandini (1963)
27. Haqeeqat (1964)
28. Woh Kaun Thi (1964)
29. Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)
30. Dosti (1964)
31. Waqt (1965)
32. Guide (1965)
33. Shaheed (1965)
34. Shakespeare Wallah (1965)
35. Teesri Manzil (1966)
36. Upkar (1967)
37. Ram Aur Shyam (1967)
38. Jewel Thief (1967)
39. Hamraaz (1967)
40. Ankhen (1968) [I don’t mind the 1993 comedy too!]
41. Padosan (1968) – I am not sure if this will work in 2022, but I’ll go see it anyway!
42. Aradhana (1969)
43. Johny Mera Naam (1970)
44. Bombay Talkie (1970)
45. Kati Patang (1971)
46. Caravan (1971)
47. Anand (1971)
48. Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971)
49. Guddi (1971)
50. Mere Apne (1971)
51. Pakeezah (1972)
52. Jawani Diwani (1972) – I know, I know. But it was a fun movie.
53. Bawarchi (1972)
54. Bombay to Goa (1972)
55. Parichay (1972)
56. Shor (1972)
57. Bobby (1973)
58. Zanjeer (1973)
59. Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973)
60. Namak Haraam (1973)
61. Abhimaan (1973)
62. Garm Hava (1973)
63. Kunwara Baap (1974)
64. Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974)
65. Avishkaar (1974)
66. Sholay (1975)
67. Dharmatma (1975)
68. Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) – I wouldn’t see it, but this would work
69. Deewar (1975)
70. Khel Khel Mein (1975)
71. Julie (1975)
72. Chupke Chupke (1975)
73. Mili (1975)
74. Aandhi (1975)
75. Kabhie Kabhie (1976)
76. Chhoti Si Baat (1976)
77. Chitchor (1976)
78. Kalicharan (1976)
79. Manthan (1976)
80. Mrigayaa (1976)
81. Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
82. Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)
83. Khoon Pasina (1977)
84. Kissa Kursi Ka (1977)
85. Gharonda (1977)
86. Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
87. Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)
88. Trishul (1978)
89. Don (1978)
90. Azaad (1978) – I know, I know. But this has childhood memories.
91. Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)
92. Khatta Meetha (1978)
93. Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978)
94. Mr. Natwarlal (1979)
95. Kaala Patthar (1979)
96. Gol Maal (1979)
97. Noorie (1979)
98. The Great Gambler (1979)
99. Surakksha (1979) – Yes, I’ll pay good money to see this on the big screen!
100. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1979, or is it 1975?)
101. Qurbani (1980)
102. Dostana (1980)
103. Shaan (1980)
104. The Burning Train (1980)
105. Karz (1980)
106. Insaaf Ka Tarazu (1980)
107. Do Aur Do Paanch (1980)
108. Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai (1980)
109. Hum Paanch (1980)
110. Khubsoorat (1980)
111. Sparsh (1980)
112. Kranti (1981)
113. Naseeb (1981)
114. Lawaris (1981)
115. Love Story (1981)
116. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981)
117. Kaalia (1981)
118. Yaarana (1981)
119. Rocky (1981)
120. Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981)
121. Chashme Buddoor (1981)
122. Kalyug (1981)
123. Naram Garam (1981)
124. Silsila (1981)
125. Umrao Jaan (1981)
126. Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981)
127. Vidhaata (1982)
128. Prem Rog (1982)
129. Namak Halaal (1982)
130. Satte Pe Satta (1982)
131. Shakti (1982)
132. Desh Premee (1982)
133. Disco Dancer (1982)
134. Angoor (1982)
135. Arth (1982)
136. Bazaar (1982)
137. Gandhi (1982) – Strictly not a Hindi film, but fits here, like the Merchant-Ivory stuff earlier on.
138. Shaukeen (1982)
139. Vijeta (1982)
140. Coolie (1983)
141. Betaab (1983)
142. Hero (1983)
143. Andha Kanoon (1983)
144. Mahaan (1983)
145. Ardh Satya (1983)
146. Arohan (1983)
147. Haadsa (1983)
148. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
149. Katha (1983)
150. Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983)
151. Mandi (1983)
152. Masoom (1983)
153. Pukar (1983)
154. Rang Birangi (1983)
155. Sadma (1983)
156. Woh Saat Din (1983)