New Delhi, Aug. 27 -- Several stars popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Emraan Hashmi and Sunny Deol, have seen a resurgence at the box office after a long run of underwhelming releases.

Hashmi's Awarapan 2 had earned nearly Rs.140 crore at last count, while Deol's recent hits include Gadar 2 and Border 2, which made Rs.525.45 crore and Rs.341.70 crore, respectively.

While some point to these actors' ability to finally cater to their core fan bases with films that play to what they are best known for, others believe the comeback is more property-led than star-led, and largely limited to sequels and established franchises.

Such films build on older hits that have long proved their popularity, particularly on satellite televi...