'Avengers Endgame: Encore' Eyes Record Opening: How Bollywood, South & Hollywood Re-Releases Fared In India

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Sep 24, 2026 13:33 IST ⓘ

As ‘Avengers Endgame: Encore’ eyes a record opening, we revisit how other re-releases performed in India.

Some films get a second life on streaming. Others get something much louder: another Friday at the movies. The interval arrives, the familiar song begins, and an audience that knows every twist cheers as though it has just discovered the film. For a forgotten romance, the return can feel like an overdue apology. For a star vehicle, it can resemble a birthday party with tickets. And for a space epic, it is an excuse to see a black hole at a size no television can match.

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The Indian box office has seen all three kinds of comeback. Their takings tell wonderfully different stories. That makes this Friday (September 25), especially interesting. Anthony and Joe Russo’s 2019 superhero juggernaut, starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson, returns as ‘Avengers Endgame: Encore’, with an exclusive look at the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Pinkvilla’s final pre-release forecast puts its India opening at Rs 8-12 crore nett, with Rs 10 crore as the midpoint.

Can a film whose ending everybody knows still bring people out on opening day? The below listed returns suggest the answer is often yes.

The Films That Found A New Crowd

1. Sanam Teri Kasam (2016): Inder and Saru had already broken viewers’ hearts at home. In cinemas, they finally got a crowd big enough to hear it. Directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru’s romance, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane, returned on February 7, 2025, nine years after a disappointing original run. Audiences turned that Valentine’s season into a redemption tour: around Rs 39 crore India gross from the re-release alone, according to Sacnilk. That is the comeback figure, not the film’s combined earnings across both runs.

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2. Tumbbad (2018): Vinayak’s hunt for Hastar’s treasure came with a warning about greed. The film’s theatrical fortunes, meanwhile, needed a second attempt. Rahi Anil Barve’s folk-horror fantasy, led by Sohum Shah and featuring Jyoti Malshe and Anita Date, returned on September 13, 2024. Its oppressive rain, crumbling mansion and extraordinary creature design gave audiences a compelling reason to trade their living-room screens for a cinema. Bollywood Hungama’s year-end tally put the 2024 re-release at approximately Rs 32 crore in India; its original 2018 takings are separate.

3. Devadoothan (2000): It had to wait 24 years for its applause. Sibi Malayil’s supernatural musical, starring Mohanlal, Jaya Prada and Murali, failed at the box office when it first arrived. Its reputation grew in the years that followed, and a re-edited version with 4K visuals and Dolby Atmos sound reached cinemas on July 26, 2024. The second run earned a reported Rs 5.4 crore worldwide. For this film, a re-release became the happy ending its original theatrical run never had.

4. Laila Majnu (2018): The first time, Qais and Laila could barely get a theatrical hearing. When Sajid Ali’s Kashmir-set romance, starring Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri, returned on August 9, 2024, that changed. The growing affection for its performances and music translated into about Rs 10.5 crore India gross within 38 days of the re-release, Sacnilk reported, more than three times its roughly Rs 3.25 crore original domestic gross. The Rs 10.5 crore is a reported 38-day figure, not a claimed final total.

5. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001): This film did not make much noise in theatres the first time, but its songs and love triangle refused to fade. Gautham Vasudev Menon’s movie, starring R. Madhavan, Dia Mirza and Saif Ali Khan, returned on August 30, 2024 and earned Rs 4 crore in India, according to Bollywood Hungama. That is strikingly close to the Rs 5.52 crore the publication reports for its original run.

6. Rockstar (2011): Jordan could fill a stage; years later, he also helped fill screenings. Imtiaz Ali’s musical drama, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, returned on May 17, 2024, letting fans hear its AR Rahman soundtrack in a theatre again. Bollywood Hungama’s year-end accounting put the 2024 India re-release at about Rs 6 crore. This was an already successful film finding another audience, rather than a debut-run flop being rescued.

Old Hits, New Housefull Signs

7. Sholay 3D (1975): Jai and Veeru rode back into theatres on January 3, 2014, this time in 3D. The conversion gave audiences another big-screen encounter with Gabbar Singh and the world of Ramesh Sippy’s classic, starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan. Bollywood Hungama recorded Rs 11.39 crore India nett for the 3D release. Its inclusion also shows that the re-release craze has a history stretching well before the recent wave.

8. Ghilli (2004): What happens when a 20-year-old Vijay film meets a theatre full of fans who can anticipate the next beat? Something close to a live event. Dharani’s Tamil sports-action blockbuster, starring Vijay, Trisha and Prakash Raj, returned on April 20, 2024. The kabaddi, the villain and the songs still worked their magic: Sacnilk put that 2024 run at approximately Rs 32 crore worldwide gross, while reporting more than Rs 26 crore gross in India.

9. Padayappa (1999): Neelambari was never going to make a quiet comeback. KS Ravikumar’s drama, starring Rajinikanth, Ramya Krishnan, Soundarya and Sivaji Ganesan, returned in 4K on December 12, 2025, Rajinikanth’s 75th birthday. The face-off between Padayappa and Neelambari was back where it could draw the loudest reactions: a packed theatre. Sacnilk reported that the re-release earned Rs 19 crore worldwide gross.

10. Mankatha (2011): Ajith Kumar’s 50th film as a lead still had a few tricks up its sleeve. Venkat Prabhu’s heist thriller, also starring Arjun Sarja and Trisha Krishnan, returned to cinemas on January 23, 2026. Audiences who already knew the twists showed up anyway, helping the re-release collect Rs 16 crore worldwide gross, according to Sacnilk.

11. Sachein (2005): Who said only action films get a roaring second run? Vijay and Genelia D’Souza’s romantic comedy returned on April 18, 2025, two decades after its original release. Directed by John Mahendran and also featuring Bipasha Basu, ‘Sachein’ found that audiences were still ready for its playful romance, comedy and music. Its rerelease made Rs 13 crore worldwide gross, as reported by Sacnilk.

12. Baahubali: The Epic (2025): This one returned with a twist: the audience could see both halves of SS Rajamouli’s saga stitched into a single, newly edited film. Featuring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia, the combined cut arrived on October 31, 2025. Sacnilk’s later tally listed approximately Rs 39.90 crore India gross and Rs 52.15 crore worldwide. It is a useful benchmark for ‘Avengers Endgame’, provided the comparison is clear: The Epic is a recut of two blockbusters, rather than an unchanged reissue of one.

13. Gabbar Singh (2012): Pawan Kalyan’s swagger returned just in time for his birthday. Harish Shankar’s Telugu action comedy, with Shruti Haasan and Abhimanyu Singh alongside him, had previews on September 1, 2024, before its full return on September 2. Sacnilk estimated about Rs 6.25 crore India gross on its opening including previews; later re-release tallies put the whole return at roughly Rs 8.01 crore worldwide gross.

14. Murari (2001): Mahesh Babu’s birthday gave an old family tale a fresh occasion. Directed by Krishna Vamsi and co-starring Sonali Bendre, the Telugu drama returned in 4K on August 9, 2024. Sacnilk estimated Rs 8 crore worldwide gross over its first three days; a subsequent trade estimate put the figure at Rs 8.90 crore worldwide by day five. That is some birthday celebration for a movie more than two decades old.

15. Kushi (2001): Some romances survive because the leads simply refuse to stop bickering. Pawan Kalyan and Bhumika Chawla’s Telugu hit, directed by S.J. Suryah, came back on December 31, 2022 and turned New Year’s Eve into a fan show. Sacnilk’s later comparison placed its re-release at around Rs 7.50 crore worldwide gross.

16. Businessman (2012): No secret identity here: Mahesh Babu’s Surya arrives in Mumbai determined to build an empire. Puri Jagannadh’s Telugu action film, also starring Kajal Aggarwal, returned for the actor’s birthday on August 9, 2023. Sacnilk recorded approximately Rs 5.25 crore worldwide gross on the re-release’s opening day alone; a later industry roundup estimates Rs 5.85 crore worldwide for that run. Keeping those two figures distinct matters, especially as the film has had more than one return to theatres.

17. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003): Audiences knew what was coming at the end of ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’. They still returned with tissues when it hit cinemas again on November 15, 2024. Directed by Nikkhil Advani and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan, the romance collected Rs 5.80 crore in India during its re-release, according to Bollywood Hungama.

18. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013): Bunny and Naina went back to the mountains, the wedding and the question of what growing up costs; audiences happily went with them. Ayan Mukerji’s romantic drama, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur and Kalki Koechlin, began a wide new run on January 3, 2025. Sacnilk’s comparison put it at more than Rs 25.5 crore India gross for the re-release.

Hollywood Returns To The Big Screen

19. Interstellar (2014): Christopher Nolan’s black hole was always going to win an argument with the average television. His science-fiction epic, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, returned to Indian cinemas on February 7, 2025. Demand brought it back again on March 7, and then into limited IMAX shows in April. Bollywood Hungama reported nearly Rs 29 crore in India across those 2025 re-release engagements. It was the kind of theatrical encore that grew because people wanted more screenings.

20. Titanic (1997): Jack and Rose have made more than one return voyage. James Cameron’s epic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, reached Indian cinemas in 3D on April 5, 2012; contemporary reporting put that outing at Rs 18 crore in India by late April, distinct from the original run. A separate 25th-anniversary release followed on February 10, 2023. Sacnilk’s record for that later engagement showed Rs 1.43 crore India nett across its first three days and provided no complete-run total.

21. Avatar (2009): Before ‘The Way of Water’ opened, Cameron invited India back to Pandora. The original, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Sigourney Weaver, returned in upgraded 3D on September 23, 2022. Sacnilk tracked Rs 5.70 crore India nett in its first three days; Box Office Mojo listed approximately USD 1.22 million India gross for the complete 2022 re-release. Sometimes the best trailer for the next chapter is the previous film playing in a cinema.