Nostalgia, social media revive interest in old Indian films on OTT platforms

A craving for nostalgia and the clout of social media are giving yesteryear films a new life.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Viewership for old films on streaming platforms is surging, driven by re-release in theatres and the emergence of content around yesteryear movies and music on social media. This has benefitted hit Bollywood titles such as Sholay, Mughal-e-Azam, Jab We Met, Raja Hindustani and Amar Akbar Anthony.

Industry officials attribute this trend to evolving audience behaviour, coupled with the return of some of these films to the cinemas. Some titles that hadn’t had a good initial run have also found a cult following over the years.

"A renewed interest in classic titles has definitely been observed, often sparked by what’s trending online or the chatter on social media platforms," said Mohan Gopinath, head, Bollywood business, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, which owns a YouTube channel and streaming platform ShemarooMe.

"Fan edits, nostalgia reels, or even simple film appreciation threads have brought films from decades ago back into the conversation," he told Mint business daily.