A still from The Holiday captures Kate Winslet browsing DVDs, evoking a time when films came with a physical presence — something audiences are rediscovering today
As the 19-year-old collector Neil Rahul Gala says, “I enjoy wandering around older markets or shops without having anything particular in mind. For instance, the Sholay sound and dialogue album listed at a record store in Delhi is for Rs 3,999. PHYSICAL MEDIA, BY THE NUMBERS 8% — Growth in global physical-music revenue in 2025 13.7% — Growth in global vinyl revenue in 2025, its 19th consecutive year of growth 45.1% — Asia’s share of global physical-music revenue in 2025 (as reported by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) India’s vinyl-record market was estimated at approximately Rs 627 crore (US$66.32 million) in 2025 according to a market research company, IMARC What collecting can cost? Rs 1,150 — Rs 12,500 Current price range of vinyl records listed by a Delhi-based record store THE NOSTALGIA TRIP We often hold on to certain objects as remembrances of places, people and memories.
A viewer recently lost their purchased digital copies of Lord of the Rings after it was removed from their library, reportedly due to a licensing issue. Because “there is a sense of curiosity in it, be it in music, films or literature, abhay Panwar, owner of a record store, says collecting pieces of art is in vogue again, especially among the youth. Because i would love rewatching Kishore Kumar’s Bewakoof and Padosan, for instance, I realised I thoroughly enjoy brain rot.
Once both a hobby and a habit, Shobhan looks back at these relics of a lost past with fondness.
As Shobhan Singh, a collector and a cinephile says, it is a “wistful reminder” of the love he has long held for cinema. Shobhan, who used to be an avid collector, says he remembers looking up an “American company that does the great work of recovering, restoring, and digitising films. Nishant Mittal, a music archivist, who runs a record store, says a vinyl offers “a tangible connection to a piece of art that one loves, it provides for a more serious and complete listening. “I think it is about being a part of the thing they like,” adds Abhay after a pause.
“The hundreds, or maybe thousands, I collected over a decade are just gathering dust. A Blu-ray of Back to the Future and a DVD of Mother India sit in neat, tidy rows alongside hundreds of films. The copies, however, remain. For a small group of cinephiles and collectors, the act of keeping is much more tangible — a physical copy of a film they can buy and bring back home. The incident has revived the discussion of what buying and keeping something means in an increasingly digital world. This begs the question — what makes people seek out and hold on to physical media even when it is no longer the default way people consume entertainment? THE HUNT FOR A COPY At times, the hunt for a specific copy becomes a part of the pleasure of finally obtaining it. Going down to actual nooks and corners looking for a film that you once cherished is a pursuit that is enjoyable in itself. A part of the fun comes from the process of browsing. Neil has been collecting physical media for three years, initially concentrating on vinyl, and then gradually including CDs, cassettes, DVDs and Blu-rays. His search takes him through thrift stores, flea markets, record and music stores, online marketplaces and collector communities, where he also comes across other people’s old collections. “It wasn’t something I could afford in those days. They came at a premium price and weren’t even easily available in India. But I came into contact with a bunch of young people who ran an underground cinema collective. Somehow, they had excellent-quality prints of all the films on my wish list. ” ‘I’M INTERESTED IN THE ARTWORK AND BONUSES’ For many collectors, the attraction lies beyond the content itself. As Neil reasons, “It is important for me to have the official release as I am interested in getting the artwork, bonuses and behind-the-scenes content. He also collects vinyl and physical copies of albums he loves, partly to have a keepsake in the form of the original track list, credits and the booklet that comes along with it. That attachment can come at a price. Collecting objects of art that people love is not merely a utilitarian pursuit. This very act of searching and purchasing has become a ritual of sorts for this group of people. You have to be curious and open to be able to receive and observe art in different formats. Collecting DVDs all those years ago did something similar for Shobhan, who recalls, “This is from when I thought I could pursue cinema as a career. For Tiya Banerjee, who has inherited her passion for music from her parents, looking back at her treasure trove of CDs and cassettes is admittedly a “nostalgia trip. “I don’t listen to a lot of them anymore, but my formative ideas about music and film—especially what I like and what I don’t—were shaped by them. I realised I love instrumental music through the Bryan Silas CD,” reveals Tiya.
I do not even own a DVD player today.
In a February 2026 article of What Hi-Fi? a father wrote about his seven-year-old son’s obsession with the Harry Potter films, realising if he had bought the DVDs two decades ago, he could have shared them with his child, and not worry about a streaming platform removing it from his catalogue the next morning. For her, it is all about remembering a past long gone with warmth — “Anytime I play those songs or watch those films on TV, it’s an instant nostalgia trip. My parents will tell me how annoying I was, how I wouldn’t let them enjoy the songs, and how that’s exactly what they miss now. “They’re a part of my childhood, a part of me from a time when I was naive and didn’t have a single clue about the complexities of life. So I guess it’s my way of remembering who I was and staying connected to the inner child I’m living for now,” she signs off. Years later, what we keep can become something to pass on to a new generation, or to share with a kin. Perhaps that is why the question of owning art, whether in the form of DVDs or records, has no straight answer. A physical copy cannot contain the experience or feeling of watching a film or listening to a song. But it can hold the search for it, the delight of finding it and years later, become a souvenir for the person who wants to hold on to that memory for themselves. — Anvita Singh Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day. Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.