<p>Actor Varun Dhawan's upcoming movie <em>Coolie No 1 </em>is set to stream on Amazon Prime Video on December 25, skipping the theatrical route. While the David Dhawan-directed film has created a fair deal of buzz among fans, a section of the audience feels that it should have hit the screens before releasing digitally. With the biggie in the spotlight, here is a look at why an OTT-only premiere might work in <em>Coolie No 1</em>'s favour. </p>.<p><strong>Audience not ready to visit theatres</strong>: While theatres have been allowed to reopen with social distancing protocols, fans are wary of visiting public places because of the Covid-19 pandemic. <em>Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari</em>, the first major Hindi movie release after the lockdown, sank without a trace. The Hollywood biggie <em>Tenet </em>collected a mere Rs six crore in the opening week in India despite being a Christopher Nolan movie. </p>.<p>Many feel that <em>Coolie No 1</em> would not have really done as well as expected had it released theatrically under the current situation. </p>.<p><strong>Varun's form:</strong> While Varun is regarded as a 'superstar in the making', his last two releases <em>Kalank </em>and<em> Street Dancer 3D</em> did not do well at the box office. His form might have taken a toll on the opening day collection of <em>Coolie No 1 </em>had it released in theatres even under the 'normal' circumstances.</p>.<p><strong>Also read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/coolie-no-1-4-key-takeaways-from-the-trailer-of-varun-dhawans-new-movie-920919.html" target="_blank">'Coolie No. 1': 4 key takeaways from the trailer of Varun Dhawan's new movie</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>Not as big as <em>Judwaa 2</em>: </strong>David and Varun had previously collaborated for the commercially-successful <em>Judwaa 2</em>, a remake of follow-up to the Salman Khan-starrer Judwaa. The film garnered a fair deal of attention as it featured seasoned performer Taapsee Pannu, who had previously impressed critics with <em>Pink</em>, as the leading lady opposite the <em>Dilwale </em>actor. <em>Coolie No 1</em>, on the other hand, features up and coming actor Sara Ali Khan as Varun's reel love interest. In other words, <em>Coolie 1</em> is not as big a release as <em>Judwaa 2</em>. </p>.<p><strong>OTT's time is now</strong>: The digital platform emerged as an alternative to theatres in 2020 as several films such as Akshay Kumar's <em>Laxmii </em>and the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer <em>Gulabo Sitabo</em> released digitally, reaching a wider audience, With <em>Coolie No 1</em>, Varun too might benefit from the 'OTT revolution'. </p>
<p>Actor Varun Dhawan's upcoming movie <em>Coolie No 1 </em>is set to stream on Amazon Prime Video on December 25, skipping the theatrical route. While the David Dhawan-directed film has created a fair deal of buzz among fans, a section of the audience feels that it should have hit the screens before releasing digitally. With the biggie in the spotlight, here is a look at why an OTT-only premiere might work in <em>Coolie No 1</em>'s favour. </p>.<p><strong>Audience not ready to visit theatres</strong>: While theatres have been allowed to reopen with social distancing protocols, fans are wary of visiting public places because of the Covid-19 pandemic. <em>Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari</em>, the first major Hindi movie release after the lockdown, sank without a trace. The Hollywood biggie <em>Tenet </em>collected a mere Rs six crore in the opening week in India despite being a Christopher Nolan movie. </p>.<p>Many feel that <em>Coolie No 1</em> would not have really done as well as expected had it released theatrically under the current situation. </p>.<p><strong>Varun's form:</strong> While Varun is regarded as a 'superstar in the making', his last two releases <em>Kalank </em>and<em> Street Dancer 3D</em> did not do well at the box office. His form might have taken a toll on the opening day collection of <em>Coolie No 1 </em>had it released in theatres even under the 'normal' circumstances.</p>.<p><strong>Also read:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/coolie-no-1-4-key-takeaways-from-the-trailer-of-varun-dhawans-new-movie-920919.html" target="_blank">'Coolie No. 1': 4 key takeaways from the trailer of Varun Dhawan's new movie</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>Not as big as <em>Judwaa 2</em>: </strong>David and Varun had previously collaborated for the commercially-successful <em>Judwaa 2</em>, a remake of follow-up to the Salman Khan-starrer Judwaa. The film garnered a fair deal of attention as it featured seasoned performer Taapsee Pannu, who had previously impressed critics with <em>Pink</em>, as the leading lady opposite the <em>Dilwale </em>actor. <em>Coolie No 1</em>, on the other hand, features up and coming actor Sara Ali Khan as Varun's reel love interest. In other words, <em>Coolie 1</em> is not as big a release as <em>Judwaa 2</em>. </p>.<p><strong>OTT's time is now</strong>: The digital platform emerged as an alternative to theatres in 2020 as several films such as Akshay Kumar's <em>Laxmii </em>and the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer <em>Gulabo Sitabo</em> released digitally, reaching a wider audience, With <em>Coolie No 1</em>, Varun too might benefit from the 'OTT revolution'. </p>