Avinash Tiwary on ‘Laila Majnu’ struggles; Says film’s early exit changed his view on success

'Laila Majnu', directed by Sajid Ali, is one of the rare films that had a second life in cinemas. At the time of release on September 7 - 2018 the film struggled to attract audiences. Years later it found recognition after its re-release on August 9, 2024 and received strong appreciation from viewers.Actor Avinash Tiwary recently opened up about his journey in the film industry. He opened up on the initial failure of Laila Majnu, which later gained cult status.Speaking at the NDTV Yuva Conclave session titled “Beyond Labels: Journey of an Actor,” he spoke about the contrast between the film’s original release and its later success. While the film is now widely appreciated, its theatrical run in 2018 was extremely short-lived.Recalling the difficult phase, Avinash Tiwary shared how quickly the film disappeared from theatres."It took me 15 years to get that film. Three years of work on that film. On the third day, the theatres, the posters being pulled down. No one has seen the film. Six years later, seven years later, it re-releases out of nowhere. And so two things. I think one thing I definitely realised is that if you have goodwill, it will keep finding its audiences. And the fact that the way success has been imagined by me or people like me changed in a certain way."The actor also spoke about how the experience reshaped his understanding of success in cinema."That was quite clear to me that this industry is very dependent on responses of the audiences. I create a product, I come to you. You like it, you don't like it. If you don't like it, God, who's giving you another opportunity? And that's one problem of being an outsider, right? There are not many opportunities that are going to come to you. So your one failure is gone. That's it."He further added, "But at the same time, this belief and we've always heard this that if you really are talented and you put in the work, there would be results available and I kind of stopped grieving in it. I've stopped believing that it would really convert into something. So that has changed for sure."Avinash Tiwary candidly described the emotional impact of seeing his hard work fade so quickly."You've really put your heart and mind into something, and on the 3rd day it's taken off, you have nothing more left to feel. Like, it's the end, and then you feel like maybe it is not for you, Avinash, and I felt that several times after that film, I felt that... even more. My film released yesterday, it has not made an opening, maybe it's not a good film. But it does make you feel and ask this question: is this for you, Avinash? Is this really that you put in this kind of effort for this kind of reward? Is this what makes you keep going on? And I'm honest enough to have these conversations because it's fine."He summed up the experience in a striking line, stating that when a film disappears so quickly, “There's nothing left to feel.”Directed by Sajid Ali and presented by Imtiaz Ali, Laila Majnu is a modern retelling of a classic love story. The film also starred Tripti Dimri. Over time, the film gained a loyal fan base.