India, April 15 -- This Thursday is set to see the return of one of Bollywood's most formidable director-actor jodis- Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan. With the release officially set for Friday, it's the paid previews which begin from Thursday evening onwards, 9pm to be precise at most screens.

Paid previews used to be a staple of the industry pre-Covid. A film conventionally releases every Friday, but paid previews allow a film to start garnering buzz an evening prior to the D-day. Many blockbusters, such as Stree 2 (2024) and Chennai Express (2013) in the past held paid previews, which not only catered to fan demand, but also raised massive hype, contributing to a big day 1 total the next day.

However, post Covid, only a handful of film...