Sanam Teri Kasam becomes highest-grossing re-released film; Tumbbad, Ghilli make up the top three

According to popular trade website Sacnilk, Sanam Teri Kasam, directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, has made Rs 32.35 crore nett in its re-release. The film made Rs 9.1 crore nett in the original run. In its second coming, Sanam Teri Kasam, headlined by Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane, has earned a whopping Rs 53 crore worldwide. Noted industry tracker Taran Adarsh revealed that the movie has emerged as the highest-grossing re-released film in India. Notably, Sanam Teri Kasam dethroned another cult favourite, Tumbbad, which took the top position in 2024 with its stellar run.

Tummbad, in its initial run, made Rs 13.5 crore nett in its lifetime, only to find a new lease of life, six years later, in its 4-week re-release. The film actually made Rs 13.15 crore nett in the first week of re-release. It had a surprising run in the second week, with the numbers matching the first week of re-release, and making almost Rs 11.5 crore. It ended its four-week run with almost Rs 30.50 crore nett.

What really makes the success of Sanam Teri Kasam and Tumbbad special is that both films didn’t make the expected numbers in the original run, but managed to become cult classics of their genre, and developed a keen fan following over the years. But it was interesting to see these fans actually turn up in droves to watch the re-release, and the number of fans just grew in size. Interestingly, the first re-release to break into the Rs 30 crore club was the Tamil blockbuster Ghilli, headlined by Vijay and Trisha, and directed by Dharani. It surpassed the collections of the re-release of Avatar and Sholay to take the numero uno spot before Hindi cinema caught on to the trend of re-releases, and have been doing excellent numbers in this category.

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Nevertheless, the success of Sanam Teri Kasam, backed by Deepak Mukut and Soham Rockstar Entertainment, which has also prompted a sequel in the making, is a sign of things to come. While 2025 has also seen the massive success of Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, it would be interesting to see how the year unfolds for Hindi cinema. Will the new guard take up the reins? Will the old guard have to swoop in to save the day? Or will Hindi cinema continue to stay afloat by milking the nostalgia cow?