Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai has shared his regret for not holding off on the theatrical release of his movie Atrangi Re. The romantic comedy drama featuring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan made its debut on Disney+ Hotstar on December 24, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic's results, which made going back to the theatre seem unattainable at the moment, had an impact on this choice.

During a recent conversation with Zoom, Rai shared his thoughts on his choice revealing that he now regrets not holding off for a few more months before releasing Atrangi Re in theatres. "Yes, I do regret not waiting for some more time. I normally don’t keep regrets, but with Atrangi Re, I realised that I should have waited."

Rai acknowledged that streaming services remained the preference of many during the pandemic though, in hindsight, he felt the movie with its narrative and performances deserved being screened on silver screens. "It should have been a big screen experience," Rai mentioned that in order to truly grasp the films core essence it demands a focused viewing of two hours.

"For theatrical mediums, you can sense the audience's reaction by Saturday, but on OTT, it takes a week or ten days. It’s a different exercise.” Rai shared that transitioning into the dominion posed challenges especially when it came to understanding how the audience felt about a film on streaming platforms versus theatres.

Aanand L. Rai might have some regrets, he holds gratitude for the love that Atrangi Re has received throughout the years. Atrangi Re stands out as one of Rai's notable creations with its vibrant and entertaining narrative still enchanting viewers even now.