Nostalgia is the vibe: Gen Z hits play on ’70s-’90s blockbusters
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : Films from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s are finding a cultural afterlife among younger millennials and zillennials, who are rediscovering yesteryear blockbusters—particularly for their simple themes and timeless music—through fan edits, reels, and online film-appreciation threads. Classics such as Pyaasa (1957), Half Ticket (1962), Rangeela (1995), Pardes (1997), and Sarfarosh (1999) have seen renewed traction among younger audiences, driven by improved restoration quality, wider accessibility, and curated discovery on streaming platforms, according to the Ultra Media OTT Insights Report 2025 published by film company Ultra Media & Entertainment Group.
That renewed interest, however, has not displaced newer favourites. Post-2000 Hindi blockbusters emerged as the most-watched titles on the group's Hindi-language over-the-top (OTT) platform Ultra Play, the report showed. “Zillennials are drawn to nostalgic content due to several factors.
They're attracted to the simplicity and timeless music of older films, which offer a refreshing change from the overstimulated content landscape of today," said Rajat Agrawal, chief operating officer, Ultra Media & Entertainment Group. Younger audiences find universal themes like love, family, and social issues quite intriguing and yet relevant to today’s times, Agrawal added. As for specific favourites, Gen Zs like classic romances such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), he pointed out.
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