Salman Khan belongs to the big screen

Khan's has been one among the big-budget movies that the 7,000 single-screen owners in India have been banking on to recover from a lacklustre 2020. "The film releases in May. With the cases of the infection down to a minimum right now, coupled with the ongoing vaccination drive, things are looking up. Selling off the film at this stage is not a wise move."

Trade analyst Akshaye Rathi says the move must have come as a blow to single-screens owners. "Multiplexes can make money, but, for single screens, a Salman Khan-film could be the boost that they require. Treating the theatrical release as a token, and releasing the film on a wider scale online will adversely affect business." mid-day reached out to producer Atul Agnihotri, who remained unavailable.