Imtiaz Ali has revealed that Laila Majnu would open in Srinagar theatres on August 2. The Sajid Ali-directed film, starring Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri, debuted in theaters in 2018 but failed to perform well at the box office. However, it has piqued the interest of countless cinephiles over the years, and it has now achieved cult status.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Avinash discussed what led to the re-release of the narrative about two star-crossed lovers. He said, “I came to know through an Instagram story that it’s re-releasing. I was in Srinagar recently and I didn’t know so many people love me there. Having said that, I understand that their love isn’t for Avinash Tiwary but for Qais. I don’t think I deserve that love but I feel truly honoured. That trip was so worthwhile.”
Last week, a group of girls published a video on social media of themselves hunting for Qais/Majnu and eventually meeting him at a café in Srinagar. “I had gone to Cafe Liberty and posted a story from there. These four girls walked in and created a reel with me. After that, there 15-18 girls were looking for Qais on the roads of Srinagar,” he said.
Avinash added, “There was a lot of demand for a meet and greet considering I was there. I was excited about it and it was an absolute success. I couldn’t have imagined this kind of a craze. There was always a desire for it but seeing the film and the characters in it getting so much love led them to this decision.”
This comes just a few weeks after the re-release of Rockstar, starring Ranbir Kapoor, in India, which had tremendous footfalls. This also had an impact on the Madgaon Express actor. He said, “Imtiaz sir has been able to show Kashmir the way it wanted to be shown. This is why there’s a lot of fondness for him. Rockstar was released in INOX there recently. According to what I know, Rockstar is the biggest hit in Kashmir in the last one year.”
Avinash is especially excited because this is the first time the Srinagar audience will see Laila Majnu on the big screen. He added, “Laila Majnu enjoys a lot of love there. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be there six years back because there wasn’t a single theatre in Kashmir back then. People had seen the film only on their laptops through pen drives. With that kind of crazy following, it only seemed rational to release it.”
Hinting at the possibility of the film being re-released in other cities, he said, “If it does well there, I hope it gets re-released in other parts of the country as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The film disappeared in six days and now for it to release again six years down the line is a cherry on the cake! Sometimes you feel that justice delayed isn’t justice denied.”
Avinash stated, “Sajid is already there. He has been calling me but I’m still slightly unsure if I’ll be able to make it. But I do intend to go there. Imtiaz sir might go there too. There was a conversation of getting Laila along but I don’t know what’s happening on that front.”
The post Avinash Tiwary opens up on Laila Majnu’s re-release in Srinagar ; says, “There wasn’t a single theatre in Kashmir back then” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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