Avinash Tiwary on Laila Majnu Releasing in Srinagar: ‘Rockstar Is Kashmir’s Biggest Hit’ | Exclusive

Laila Majnu will be released in theatres in Srinagar on August 2, Imtiaz Ali has confirmed. Starring Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri, the Sajid Ali directorial was released in theatres in 2018 but couldn’t work its magic at the box office. However, over the years, it has drawn the attention of several cinephiles and has now attained a cult status.

In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, an overwhelmed Avinash fills us in on what snowballed into the re-release of the story about two star-crossed lovers. “I came to know through an Instagram story that it’s re-releasing. I was in Srinagar recently and I didn’t know so many people love me there. Having said that, I understand that their love isn’t for Avinash Tiwary but for Qais. I don’t think I deserve that love but I feel truly honoured. That trip was so worthwhile,” he tells us.

Last week, a group of girls took to social media and shared a reel of them looking for Qais/Majnu and finally meeting him at a café in Srinagar. For Avinash, that was partly instrumental in re-releasing Laila Majnu. “I had gone to Café Liberty and posted a story from there. These four girls walked in and created a reel with me. After that, there 15-18 girls were looking for Qais on the roads of Srinagar,” he says.

Avinash adds, “There was a lot of demand for a meet and greet considering I was there. I was excited about it and it was an absolute success. I couldn’t have imagined this kind of a craze. There was always a desire for it but seeing the film and the characters in it getting so much love led them to this decision.”

This, interestingly, comes a few weeks after Rockstar starring Ranbir Kapoor re-released in India and clocked massive footfalls. For the Madgaon Express actor, that too played a role. “Imtiaz sir has been able to show Kashmir the way it wanted to be shown. This is why there’s a lot of fondness for him. Rockstar was released in INOX there recently. According to what I know, Rockstar is the biggest hit in Kashmir in the last one year,” he remarks.

Avinash is particularly elated as this is the first time that the Srinagar audience will be watching Laila Majnu on the big screen. “Laila Majnu enjoys a love of love there. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be there six years back because there wasn’t a single theatre in Kashmir back then. People had seen the film only on their laptops through pen drives. With that kind of crazy following, it only seemed rational to release it,” he says.

Hinting at how the film may go on to get re-released in other cities too, he adds, “If it does well there, I hope it gets re-released in other parts of the country as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The film disappeared in six days and now for it to release again six years down the line is a cherry on the cake! Sometimes you feel that justice delayed isn’t justice denied.”

So, will he be attending the screening? “Sajid is already there. He has been calling me but I’m still slightly unsure if I’ll be able to make it. But I do intend to go there. Imtiaz sir might go there too. There was a conversation of getting Laila along but I don’t know what’s happening on that front,” remarks Avinash.