The re-release of Namastey London has been a great disappointment for Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Despite the retro charm that works in the favour of 2007’s rom-com, the film was unable to take off at the box office in its second week of release.
Advance bookings were relatively low, with only 985 tickets booked for 75+ shows across the nation. Not even the Holi holiday could save the film, since it could not get buyers on its opening day.
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This lackluster performance highlights the risks of blindly going along with the re-release trend. While films like Veer Zaara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani have been successful re-releases, Namastey London has not been able to live up to even its original “average” box office verdict.
The semi-hit status of the film at its original release in 2007 seems to have put off people from seeing it again now. Trade analysts believe that nostalgia will not suffice to bring success; content must please today’s audience.
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Also, since the movie is available on OTT platforms, there is minimal incentive for the audience to spend money on cinema tickets. This failure is a bitter reminder that not every vintage film is designed for a theatrical re-launch, especially when it lacks the timelessness to capture the audience’s imagination.
For Akshay Kumar, this re-release has provided him with no respite when box office hits are becoming increasingly out of reach.
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