The past few years has seen a spate of movies rereleasing in theatres. But this is not a new phenomenon for Hindi Cinema. There used to be a time, at least till the 1990s when old movies would play in cinema halls in what was termed “matinee” shows. This was a welcome approach as it enabled the new generation to get introduced to and enjoy the older classics and other movies. Presumably, the producers would be earning money through the reruns of their movies.

I recall hearing about the release of the Dev Anand starrer Hum Dono, 50 years after its initial release in 2011. The plus point? It was the colorized version and aptly named as Hum Dono Rangeen! Having not seen the movie, I stepped into the cinema hall in anticipation. The attraction was the aura associated with the movie, the big stars, and of course its evergreen songs. And what a pleasure it was. It was almost magical to revisit that era on the big screen. How lucky was the generation when such movies were being released week on week and one could enjoy them firsthand!

I had the same experience with CID (1956) a few years later (unfortunately, I knew the plot, so that was a bit of a dampener). But yes, it was still a memorable experience to revisit the oldie offering.

The rereleases of Mughal-e-Azam (2004) and Naya Daur (golden jubilee year in 2007) were big events and made special news. They were also released in fully colorized avatars and met with mixed success. The trend continued and in recent times, we see movies mainly from the 90s and beyond scorching the big screen once again. Some classics are also screened as a tribute to the creators such as Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and so on.

That brings me to my recent experience in 2025 of revisiting Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani (YJHD). The 2013 Ayan Mukerji directed movie has achieved cult classic status and its endearing characters, the dialogues and the songs continue to charm us. The movie rereleased with much fanfare and box-office success.

Having watched the movie with ad breaks on T.V. I was looking forward to view it in the cinema hall with lesser distractions. And the show time arrived. Surprise! the screening began with the UTV logo and trailers of the movies that were probably shown along with YJHD’s original screening in 2013. It was kind of funny to watch the trailers of Fukrey and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara. How time flies, literally!

The cinema hall was a full house filled with a young crowd in their teens and 20s. They were probably school going children when the movie had released. That showed the staying power and recall value of a cult movie that can be related to even today. As expected, the movie was a joy to watch. Ranbir, Deepika, Aditya and Kalki were at their peak and the wonderful supporting cast didn’t disappoint. The audience was enjoying the witty dialogues and the one-liners to the fullest. But nothing had me prepared when the blockbuster songs lit up the screen. Balam Pichkari and Budtameez Dil made the crowd erupt. They got up from their seats, went up to the screen, sang and danced along, clicked selfies and shared socially the live experience of being there and watching YJHD. The multiplex management had to intervene but that was a mild matter. This was the genuine magic of cinema in front of my eyes.

So, the trend will not end. There will be more anniversaries coming up – 20, 25, 30 years and revisits on the way. The charm of cinema continues.