The poster for "Coolie", the movie that almost killed the superstar, has the catchline: "Watch crorepati Amitabh Bachchan play the role of a coolie." While this line is placed just above the title, the connection with the game show is unmistakable. "Deewar", the movie that catapulted him to superstardom in the 70s is also currently playing in Mumbai.

"All this is clearly being done to cash in on Amitabh Bachchan's current popularity" says Komal Nahta, Editor, Film Information. The idea, he says, is to make the audience believe that it is a new Amitabh Bachchan movie.Says S. Yesudas, associate vice-president, Initiative Media: "The brand image of Amitabh Bachchan itself has gone through a complete revamp." The popularity of the star, he says, has increased manifold in the last six months because of "Kaun Banega Crorepati." As a result, he explains, Amitabh Bachchan as a brand name today can once again set the boxoffice aflame.

From Coolie to Crorepati: Amitabh films enjoy second runTaran Adarsh, Editor, Trade Guide, points out that the film industry always has a tendency to weave film themes around current issues. Citing the example of Kargil, he says it gave rise to movies like "Kargil Ke Jawan." The strategy however, is a short term one according to some industry observers. "The era of reruns for Hindi films are definitely over," explains Mr Adarsh. He attributes this to the invasion of cable and satellite television. Consequently, almost every Hindi movie ever made is being telecast-or will be telecast-on one channel or the other. "Why would a person then go to a theatre to watch just a rerun?" asks Mr Adarsh.The strategy of using the superstars current image to boost his earlier work however, has its advantages, however short term they may be. There are hardly any extra costs involved except for printing posters. "These are just old publicity stills which have to undergo basic changes in printing," says Mr Nahta. Besides, the films are being released in low-budget theatres.