Actor Triptii Dimri was a newcomer in the industry when she starred as a lead in the romantic drama Laila Majnu. The film was released in 2018 and also starred Avinash Tiwary. However, it underperformed at the box office. In an interview with Filmfare, the actor shared that she was ‘very disappointed’ when the film did not work, but she felt bad for her co-star Avinash. (Also read: Triptii Dimri opens up on whether it was difficult to enter the industry as an outsider: ‘Auditions freak me out more…’)

What Triptii said

Talking about Laila Majnu, Triptii said, “It was special because it was my first lead film. Woh ye film hai jisme maine acting seekhi thi (I learnt acting from this film). Initially, I took time to understand things, and that was when I did an acting workshop and realised this was something very interesting. I think that film taught me a lot. There were many challenges on a day-to-day basis because we were shooting in the valleys of Kashmir for 20 or even 24 hours at a stretch. Many times, I cried during that period, wondering what I was doing, because none of it was easy. Laila Majnu will always remain a very special film for me. At that time we were not even famous, so there was no pressure. We would go to the homes of locals and eat there, and I felt deeply attached to Kashmir.”

‘We started giving auditions again’

She continued, “When the film did not do well, I felt very disappointed because we were back to zero. I had been around for at least two years, but Avinash Tiwary had been here for 14 years. Then we started giving auditions again, and I felt bad for him. But I knew it would receive appreciation, because even today, eight years after its release, people still talk about it. That is success for me. When the film was released, the theatres were empty, but when it was re-released later, they were packed, and when we went to the cinemas, we could not even find a place to sit.”

Laila Majnu didn’t do well in 2018 despite good reviews. However, the film found a massive following in the successive years and achieved cult status. It went on to become a success during its re-release in 2024, crossing the lifetime collections of the film with ease.